{"id":996,"date":"2019-07-15T14:15:04","date_gmt":"2019-07-15T14:15:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/?p=996"},"modified":"2019-07-15T14:15:05","modified_gmt":"2019-07-15T14:15:05","slug":"common-adult-questions-part-4-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/common-adult-questions-part-4-4\/","title":{"rendered":"COMMON ADULT QUESTIONS \u2013 PART 4\/4"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This is the\nfinal column of this series. If you missed any of the past segments, you can\nfind them at www.thetowncommon.com<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve heard of some new cosmetic techniques that can improve\nsmiles. Are they appropriate for older adults?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Older\nadults can benefit from many of the options available today for improving the\nlook of a smile. Your dentist can describe and discuss with you the range of\ntreatments that would be right for you. Part of older adulthood is the\nacceptance of aging and the development of realistic expectations for\nappearance. In that context, dental treatment for older adults can be a healthy\nand adaptive way of maintaining dental health and emotional well-being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Our teeth and mouth play a critical role in\npsychological development and well-being throughout our lives. Modern dentistry\nhas expanded esthetic options for people of all ages. Coupled with good oral\nhygiene and regular dental visits, cosmetic techniques can help improve the\nappearance of your smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m on a limited, fixed income and can\u2019t\nreally afford regular dental treatment. Are there any resources available to\nhelp me?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even\nif you cannot pay for dental care, you don\u2019t need to live without it. Thousands\nof dentists across the country assist the elderly on fixed incomes by offering\ntheir services at reduced fees through dental society-sponsored assistance\nprograms. The availability of such aid varies from one community to another, so\ncall your local dental society for information about where you can find the\nnearest assistance programs and low-cost dental care locations, such as public\nhealth and dental school clinics. Other sources of such information are local social\nservice organizations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is dentistry doing to better serve\nolder adults?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dentists\nare experiencing a quiet revolution in their offices as the number of older\npatients increases steadily. The profession knows that this burgeoning\npopulation group is wearing fewer dentures and is keeping natural teeth longer.\nAlso, we know that some patients in this group require special consideration because\nreduced mobility and dexterity may make daily oral hygiene difficult. In\naddition, medical conditions and impairment are factors that dentists take into\naccount for certain patients. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes,\nlack of awareness about available treatments and techniques leads older\npatients to make false assumptions about their dental health and tolerate\nconditions such as toothaches, bleeding gums and clicking dentures. Dentists\nare gaining practical information on how to effectively manage the treatment\nneeds of older patients. Many dental societies have set up access programs to\nassist older adults, individuals with physical or mental disabilities or\nindigent persons to receive care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\ndental profession is increasingly sensitive to the special needs of and the importance\nof dental health in the older patient. Older adults are more health conscious\nas a group than ever before. Their oral health is an important part of their\noverall health and the dental profession is committed to providing the\ntreatment and guidance older adults need to maintain it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. St. Clair\nmaintains a private dental practice in Rowley and Newburyport dedicated to\nhealth-centered family dentistry. If there are certain topics you would like to\nsee written about or questions you have please email them to him at jpstclair@stclairdmd.com<\/a>.\nYou can view all previously written columns at www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This is the final column of this series. If you missed any of the past segments, you can find them at www.thetowncommon.com. I\u2019ve heard of some new cosmetic techniques that can improve smiles. Are they appropriate for older adults? Older adults can benefit from many of the options available today for improving the look of a smile. Your dentist can describe and discuss with you the range of treatments that would be right for you. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-996","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/996","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=996"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/996\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1002,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/996\/revisions\/1002"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=996"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=996"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=996"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}