5 Dental Problems for People Above 50 Years of Age

Teeth problems are caused throughout the lifetime but after 50 its starts going southwards. Tooth issues are generally very painful issues and precaution for prevention is always a good idea. Also, 50 plus is an age when everything other than health is secondary. So, let us run through some of the tooth problems that commonly occur in the 50’s and care to be taken in order to avoid the same.

Dry Mouth
Dry mouth is often a result of medications. As people grow older, the number of medications also increase hence resulting into dry mouth problems. Sometimes it could occur due to an accidental blow to the head or smoking addictions due to damage to salivary glands. The symptoms of dry mouth include dry throat, issues swallowing, dry and cracked lips. It may also cause bad breadth and trouble with swallowing food.

Care – Sipping water throughout the day for stimulating saliva production is a good remedy for dry mouth. Alternatively, you may also sugar free xylitol chewing gum or candy. Over the counter formulations are also available and could on the advice and prescription of your Dentist.

Tooth Decay
While many of us may presume that cavities are only a problem of the sunny days, apparently we’re not aware enough. Cavities can occur even after 50 years. The roots of your teeth turn softer as well as are even more exposed once you cross the golden jubilee mark. So, they are more prone to tooth decay not only on the surface of the teeth but also affect the root and over old fillings.

Care – Flouride is a simple solution to the problem called cavities. Be it children or adults, is works alike for both and is known to be one of the top 10 dental health measures. In India people do not drink fluorinated water, like Americans do. Hence, it is advisable that you do a fluoride rinse after brushing daily. Alternatively, you may also ask your dentist to prescribe you some flouride prescription gel.

Gingivitis/ Gum Disease
Gingivitis is a first stage of gum disease and needs and needs early intervention or it can progress further into bone loss and eventually loss of teeth. The symptoms of gum disease include red and swollen gums that bleed easily.

Care – Follow your routine teeth care and visit your dentists regularly for oral check-up and cleaning.

Tooth Crowding
As per the X-president of American association of Orthodontists, our teeth shift as we age. This makes it difficult to clean the teeth increasing the risk of tooth decay. Additionally, it also increases the risk of periodontal disease that could lead to a loss of teeth.

Care – Meet your dentist to find out if your teeth have actually shifted. The dentist may suggest refitting them with a spacer, retainer or braces as well. It is advisable to do a regular visit to your dentist to check on the shifting part and even regular cleaning.

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Oral Cancer
Oral cancer is ranks in the top three cancers in India as per a research paper published in Journal of Cancer Epidemiology in 2012. As you age the risk of oral cancer only increases. The people who are addicted to smoking and drinking often are at a greater risk of the same. The discovery of Human Papilloma virus has also added to the cause of oral cancer.

Care – Mortality rate for those suffering from oral cancer is very low. If detected at an early stage then the survival rate is upto 5 years or so. Hence, it’s advisable to do a checkup for oral cancer regularly.

*Sourced from the Internet

 

Medical Insurances may soon cover Dental Treatments Amongst Others

With the objective of providing inclusive healthcare to patients, the Insurance and Regulatory Authority of India (IRDAI) has eliminated almost 10 items from the list of procedures under optional cover. These include Dental Treatment besides Psychiatric, stem cell and infertility treatment. IRDAI on Monday said that it has partially modified guidelines of health insurance standardisation and removed a few items from the list of items that come under optional cover offered by insurers.

Dental Treatment - Dental Insurance

Even though there are umpteen private medical insurance providers, a major chunk of the population opts for government funded schemes. The claim ratio is the factor that impact the choice of insurance. While for private insurance companies the claim ratio is only 67%, for public insurance companies its 120%. Most of the private insurance companies cover people in the urban region of the country and almost 89% are public insurance companies. The people have to pay heavy premiums for all of their policies including individual ones expect for family floater due to the higher coverage share these companies have to offer.

The treatment includes one that does not need hospitalisation but is common amongst people like infertility treatment, sub fertility treatment, hormone replacement therapy, obesity treatment, assisted conception procedures, stem cell implantation, and treatment of sexually transmitted conditions like, retro virus, HIV or AIDS, other than the ones mentioned above. As per IRDAI list there are 199 items lists under optional cover by insurance providers. These also include a list of medical accessories like x-ray films, slings, bandages, baby products and even internet facility to name a few. At times, they are offered at an additional premium while they are excluded from the standard health plan.

Furthermore, as per the national health profile 2018, created by central bureau of Health Intelligence, around just about 35% of the people of the country who opt for health insurance. As per a report from WHO, 70% of the people in India paid the health expenses from their own pockets.

Well, IRDAI is in the process of streamlining the standard health care insurance package inclusions with an objective of providing the common man, a more inclusive healthcare package that suits their pocket and covers the common conditions as well.

Know more about Rajarajeswari Dental College and Hospital in Bangalore

*Sourced form the Internet

Why is an Electric Toothbrush Better Than a Regular One?

Though brushing is a part of our daily routine or lifestyle and most of us brush our teeth at least once in the morning if not twice. Mundane Task, yes it is but it is vital for not only our teeth but our overall health as well. We brush every morning but there are a few questions which might make you wonder if brushing is really helping you the way it should. The fact of the matter is that how many of us know how long we need to brush and what is the exact drill. Not many, right? We do brush daily but never pay attention at the process and this could be a problem for our teeth in a long run. Another vital point is that of changing your toothbrush on a regular basis. While many of you should be aware of the fact, those who aren’t may note that down.

Many of you might be aware of the electric brush. Dentists do recommend that brush for people who are not able to brush their teeth properly and visit with issues of painful tooth or teeth. Let us understand the benefits of an electric toothbrush over a manual one.

Features

  • Compared to manual toothbrushes, electric brushes do the cleaning for you as it comes with the ability to do brush rotations ranging from 3000 to 40000 strokes per minute.
  • Electric brushes are available for sensitive teeth, for gum massaging as well as for the whitening purpose
  • These brushes come with timers for keeping track of the length of brushing for each quadrant
  • They also come with digital reminders for replacing the toothbrush
  • They are compatible with multiple heads, so you can choose the bristles as per your design

Benefits
The best benefit of the using an electric brush is that the rotating head of the brush not only ensures a proper combination of motion but also equal pressure. Many of the people might brush daily but the pressure part is not the same on both sides. A right-handed person might be able to brush properly on the left properly but not the right. Additionally, your hands and wrists can rest hence it’s a boon for people with arthritis making the process of brushing less painful. A survey carried out on electric toothbrush revealed a 21% reduction in plaque and 11% reduction in gingivitis post three months of use. Electric toothbrushes are power brushes which can be recharged on a need to need basis. People who start using them find them far better than manual ones. There is a wide variety available and hence getting one that fits your needs isn’t a big deal.

RRDCH – Leading Dental College and Hospital in Bangalore

*Sourced from the Internet