Senior Dental Concerns Dental Veneers Dental Implants Gum Treatment Dr. Choi Irvine CA

As you age, the challenges you face in maintaining a healthy smile and teeth change. The better quality of dental care and treatment today has made it possible for many seniors to keep their own teeth and not have to resort to wearing dentures. At Smile By Design we want to help you retain your natural, healthy teeth and smile by offering some solutions to common problems faced by our senior patients.

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Burning Mouth

Burning mouth usually occurs in individuals over 50, but can affect others as well. There are several reasons why it occurs:

• Denture problems: a new denture, or one that doesn't fit well, can irritate your entire mouth. Solution: (see solution below under "Dentures")
• Reduced salivary gland function: Dr. Choi knows that this will cause the mouth to become dry, inviting oral discomfort, difficulty eating or swallowing, loss of taste, and a burning mouth. Salivary gland dysfunction sometimes comes with age. Solution: there are saliva substitutes and rinses at Smile By Design that we can prescribe to protect your oral tissues, and soothe burning sensations.
• Medications: these often dry the mouth (side effects). Solution: A change of medications or the use of saliva substitutes mentioned above.
• Vitamin deficiency: there is some evidence linking burning mouth syndrome to Vitamin B deficiency. Solution: Regular vitamin regimen.
• Candida infections: this is a common oral fungus, usually apparent to the eye but sometimes undetectable. Solution: At Smile By Design we can prescribe a topical anti-fungal agent that can help the problem.

Dry Mouth

Dry mouth is a common problem. The lack of adequate saliva is more than bothersome for three out of every ten Americans. When the natural flow of saliva is reduced, you can experience trouble swallowing, pain throughout oral tissues and, nearly always, a short-cut to dental caries and gum disease. The tongue sticks, food doesn't have much taste, and digestion suffers.

Dr. Choi knows that Xerostomia, or dry mouth syndrome, can come with aging, or often as a side effect of many medications. Half of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy experience an extreme form of xerostomia, with critical effects on their dental health. At Smile By Design we can help provide relief in the form of prescriptions for dry mouth toothpaste, special saliva-producing chewing gum, or saliva substitute solutions.

The Challenge of Wearing Dentures

Many denture wearers breathe a sigh of relief when they get their first pair of dentures because they think their dental problems are over. What they soon realize, however, is that they have just traded some old problems for new ones. Even the best dentures can't compete with natural teeth in ability to chew food efficiently and comfortably. As the years go by, the supporting ridges that remain after teeth have been removed gradually change and get smaller. Dr. Choi believes that for most patients, their dentures need to be "relined" or "refitted" every 2-4 years so that the denture will conform to the changing ridge. A large change in weight can also alter the shape of the mouth, causing changes in the fit.

In the past, the loss of teeth was dismissed as a natural part of the aging process and dentures were considered a normal sign of old age. While such ignorance is rapidly becoming a thing of the past, there is still not a general awareness of the seriousness of edentulism (tooth loss).

Multiple tooth loss is most commonly caused by periodontal disease, i.e. gum and bone disease. Periodontal disease has a high statistical correlation with chronic debilitating disease, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and arthritis. So, it is not very surprising that studies now show a shortened life expectancy by as much as 10 years for persons nationally who have lost their natural teeth, when compared to those who have kept their teeth.

In addition to longevity, quality-of-life differences are just as significant. The functional efficiency of dentures has been measured to be only 20% of that of natural teeth. Dr. Choi feels that there cannot be any doubt that nutritional deficiencies will be much more prevalent in those without their natural teeth. Loss of teeth often causes a feeling of loss of wholeness and a sense of deterioration and aging. Given these factors, we feel at Smile By Design that preservation of the natural teeth is integral to whole-person wellness.

At Smile By Design we appreciate the special challenges that are faced by our senior patients and we are here to help you find solutions that will keep you healthy and enjoying a full and satisfying life. Call us for a free consultation.

Free Consultation - Call 888-204-5010

We do have patients from:

Aliso Viejo - Anaheim - Anaheim Hills - Balboa Island - Bell Canyon - Brea - Buena Park - Capistrano Beach - Corona Del Mar - Costa Mesa - Coto de Caza - Cypress - Dana Point - Dove Canyon - El Toro - Foothill Ranch - Fountain Valley - Fullerton - Garden Grove - Huntington Beach - Irvine - La Habra - La Palma - Ladera Ranch - Laguna Beach - Laguna Hills - Laguna Niguel - Laguna Woods - Lake Forest -Las Flores - Los Alamitos - Midway City - Mission Viejo - Modjeska Canyon - Monarch Beach - Newport Beach - Newport Coast - Orange - Placentia - Rancho Santa Margarita - San Clemente - San Juan Capistrano - Santa Ana - Seal Beach - Silverado - Stanton - Sunset Beach - Trabuco Canyon - Tustin - Villa Park - Westminster - Yorba Linda.