Senior Dentistry

Regardless of your age, it’s important that you come into the office for regular cleanings and exams. Even if you wear full dentures, it’s a good idea to be seen routinely so that we can check the health of your gums and underlying bone. Our goal at Carrollton Smiles is to provide you with comprehensive dental care at every stage of your life and to offer it in a calm, relaxed and caring environment. If it’s been awhile since your last dental appointment, it’s never too late to begin coming in for the overall health of your smile.

You will first come in and have your dental x-rays taken so that we can identify underlying cavities and other intra-oral related conditions. Next, our hygienist will perform a cleaning to remove hardened plaque and stains from your teeth. Your gums are then checked for signs of either gingivitis and gum disease. If it’s been awhile since your last appointment or if you have gum disease, Dr. Bhandaru may recommend a deeper cleaning that’s known as a scaling and root planing. Dr. B then creates a treatment plan specific to your needs and can help in providing the care that you require.

Most dental restorations, need to be replaced at some point of time. Most of our patients that are over the age 60 will have some failing restorations. It is important to have these replaced. Most surgeries like joint replacement, cardiac surgery, head and neck radiation treatment for cancer require you to have healthy mouth. This is important as you will not be able to get dental treatment immediately after these procedures. Also, the lifesaving treatment may sometimes be delayed due to dental infections.

We are noticing that our senior population is getting more medically complex. As we age, people take medications for various diseases like hypertension, diabetes, heart conditions. The common complication of these health conditions and associated medications is dry mouth. Dry mouth is not only inconvenient but also causes a lot of other complications.Dry mouth, causes you to have altered taste, it makes you more prone to cavities and periodontal disease. Dr. Bhandaru recommends more frequent visits to keep your mouth healthier. Drinking more water, reducing the consumption of caffeine and alcoholic beverages helps reduce the dryness of the mouth. Biotene, Closys and Xylimelts are some salivary supplements that you can use.