Timeless December/January 2021 | Page 22

SMILE !

Maintain optimum dental health for beautiful , healthy teeth over 50

Story by Glenda Sanders , contributing writer Photos by Trenton Steele

Teeth and gums age just like the rest of the body , and they

need daily attention if adults over age 50 want to keep their beautiful smile as they grow older . Dental care for seniors starts with good habits at home with daily brushing and flossing and regular , twice-a-year visits to the dentist for a professional cleaning .
Skipped appointments and poor brushing can lead to dental decay , gum disease , mouth infections , tooth loss and oral cancer .
“ I focus a lot of my attention on helping my patients maintain their teeth . It is not an uncommon thing ,” said Dr . J . Eric Herrington , a board-certified periodontist who practices in Meridian . “ The majority of our population will have some form of periodontal disease as they age .”
Periodontal , or gum , disease is an infection of the tissues that hold teeth in place . Usually it is caused by years of poor brushing and flossing that allow plaque to build up on the teeth and harden . Without regular visits to a dentist for cleaning , this plaque advances . Slowly , the gums begin to recede , and the bone starts to deteriorate until teeth loosen and fall out .
A century ago , most middle-aged people expected to lose their natural teeth as they grew older .
“ There are ways today that we can prevent people from losing their teeth ,” Herrington said . “ You don ’ t have to resign yourself to wearing a denture at the age of 55 .”
Maintaining good dental habits is also good for your overall health .
Studies have shown a correlation between poor dental health and
Board-certified periodontist Dr . J . Eric Herrington performs a dental exam . health issues , such as diabetes and heart disease . “ Not only does diabetes have an impact on your periodontal health but your periodontal health has an impact on the control of your diabetes ,” Herrington said . “ Someone who has uncontrolled type 2 diabetes , in most cases , they are going to have periodontal problems , so we have to try and manage the battle .”
Other studies have shown that patients with poor dental health have negative cardiovascular experience too , he added .
“ All of the research now is demonstrating that there is definitely some impact on someone having uncontrolled periodontal disease and whether or not they might be at risk for future heart disease ,” he said .
The first step toward maintaining good dental health is to visit a general dentist twice a year to have your teeth cleaned .
“ The first line of defense in helping to prevent dental disease is to make sure you are seeing your dentist ,” he said .
Even if you wear dentures and do not think you need to go to the dentist , you should visit once a year so the dentist can ensure the denture is fitting properly and there are no signs of infections , sores or oral cancer .
“ Those are things you do not figure out on your own , but things dentists are looking for ,” he said .
Some of the first signs to cause concern are bleeding gums ; halitosis , or chronic bad breath ; loose teeth ; tooth pain while chewing ; or swollen and painful gums . Aging teeth and gums can lead to big dental bills , oftentimes not covered by Medicare .
“ Anytime you can pick up on a problem when it is a small issue ,
22 • TIMELESS MERIDIAN