Oral health is important for all people of all ages, as there are inherent issues in ensuring proper care for children and the elderly.
The first issue that needs to be addressed regardless of age is which dentist to choose, and family care may be the right choice for all ages.
Dr. Brad Klipke of Bexley’s Carol Family Dental said family medicine would provide children with an oral hygiene provider that they could stay with while they were growing up. Visiting a family clinic also helps older family members use access and transportation when the whole family schedules the same day.
Regardless of the type of practice considered, trust is the most important factor, said Dr. Jordan Rosenthal of Daily DENTAL & Braceletsbar in Dublin, Gahana and Grove City.
“Travel to the dentist must be a comfortable experience,” he said.
Another issue that all patients have to deal with is the cost of care. However, there are plans to support some of the fees through Medicare and Medicaid. Rosenthal shared that many practices also have an annual membership plan. This allows patients to pay a monthly fee and, in return, receive regular cleaning to meet the needs of certain types of oral care.
Pediatric dentistry
Especially when looking at oral care for children, parents start care earlier because the sooner they start seeing the dentist, the more comfortable they are, especially because the child needs more care. That’s important, Kripke said.
“It’s good to see your child at the dentist by the first birthday,” he said.
To prepare for that first visit, Kripke suggested that parents take them to their own dental visit, as long as it is a regular visit. He also suggested that parents and children play the role of dentist.
“Play simulation is a great way to help kids understand what a visit to a dentist will look like,” said Krypke.
“Initially, visits will be quick and easy, including teaching good oral hygiene routines, including starting fluoride treatment,” he said. “They are generally fairly short visits.”
Besides regular visits to the dentist, brushing teeth and flossing, another element of proper oral care is nutrition.
“The pandemics and kids are homeschooling and just staying at home, they eat more snacks and consume more,” he said.
According to a presentation by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry in August 2021, oral health has more impact than physical health because “the link between academic and psychosocial issues at school and dental issues is important.” May be given.
Gerodental dentistry
Rosenthal said there are many challenges to ensuring proper oral hygiene for the elderly.The first of these is an outdated notion of what going to the dentist is like
“Dental isn’t like it used to be,” he said. “It has changed a lot over the years. Unfortunately, some older community members didn’t have a good experience (as a dentist) when they were young, which has an impact on how they care for their teeth today. I’m giving. “
According to Rosenthal…
“We not only live longer, but also make our teeth last longer,” he said. This means that some older patients’ thinking about oral hygiene is no longer accurate. For example, according to Rosenthal, the view that “mother has never been to a dentist” does not apply because it is very likely that she had dentures later in her life.
He said that active commitment to oral health is even more important for older people, as there are certain physical changes, such as calcification of dental nerves as people get older. This means that older patients usually lose some of the sensation of warning of dental problems. As a result, if older patients are not active in oral care, they may not be able to detect the problem until it is too late for their teeth.
