Protect your smile from dental issues as you age. Our senior care dental team can help.
It’s important that you are practicing good oral hygiene regardless of age; however, our San Jose, CA, dentist Dr. Nidhi Sikka understands the unique needs that seniors require when it comes to their oral health. Age puts us at risk for a variety of dental problems, and it’s important to protect your dental health in order to protect your general health. Here’s why you should make your dental health a top priority,
Protect Against Tooth Loss
Tooth loss becomes incredibly common as we age. In fact, by age 50, Americans have lost an average of 12 teeth! Periodontal disease and cavities are often to blame for tooth loss in seniors; however, these are problems that can be prevented with proper oral care and nutrition. Our San Jose, CA, dentist specializes in senior dental care, which involves providing recommendations and advice on special products, important habits and healthy lifestyle changes that can help support healthy teeth and gums in seniors.
Prevent Decay and Gum Disease
As you get older you are also more at risk for cavities and gum disease. If you deal with dry mouth, as many older adults do, this puts you at risk for decay. This is why it’s important to talk with our senior care dentist, Dr. Sikka, about ways to combat dry mouth to protect against cavities. With 2 out of 3 adults over age 65 dealing with gum disease (according to the CDC), it’s also crucial that you are not only flossing daily and brushing twice a day but that you are visiting the dentist every six months for cleanings and checkups. It’s the best way to prevent and even catch gum disease early when it’s easy to treat.
Detect Oral Cancer
Older adults, especially those who smoke or used to smoke (or used tobacco products, in general) are also at an increased risk for oral cancer. Fortunately, by coming into our office every six months for checkups we can perform a quick oral exam to look for sores, patches and other signs of oral cancer that you might overlook.
We understand just how important it is for our patients to get dental care, even during COVID-19. Of course, our San Jose, CA, senior care dentist Dr. Sikka and her team here at Sikka Dental also understand how important it is to protect our seniors who come into our office. Learn more about the extra safety precautions we are taking to keep all of our patients, including our high-risk seniors, healthy and safe. To schedule an appointment call us at (408) 259-1280.
