Moss Family Dentistry is pleased to provide professional and caring dental services to our patients in Maryville TN and the surrounding communities.
We offer children's, cosmetic, family, general, implant, preventive and restorative dentistry services.
Just as we notice changes to our bodies as they age, you will notice changes to the condition and appearance of your teeth. They may no longer have the brilliant white luster of the past due to years of consuming caffeine, tobacco, and other substances that stain. Old fillings may loosen and need to be replaced due to decay that has set in. The flow of saliva may be reduced because of certain medications. And gum disease is often a problem in seniors that needs urgent treatment. Continued good nutrition and daily cleaning are important in keeping your natural teeth. As a word of caution, at the first signs of bleeding gums or loose teeth, please contact us immediately. Moss Family Dentistry Whittaker Moss, DDS 1916 East Lamar Alexander Parkway Maryville, TN 37804 (865) 983-4642 MossFamilyDentist.com
A cracked or broken tooth can happen for a variety of reasons- brittle teeth, teeth grinding, injury. The crack may be invisible to the naked eye and even X-ray, but they can be incredibly painful and create bigger problems if left untreated. If you experience pain when chewing see your dentist. They can diagnose the cause and develop a plan for treatment.
Daily flossing is an important component of plaque removal, but it’s one that many people avoid because they find flossing painful. But the right flossing products can make flossing easy and painless. Many people think that standard dental floss is the only effective product for tooth flossing. But there are many products to meet the needs of people of all ages with any type of dental condition. If one of these conditions applies to you, consider some specialized flossing options:
You have sensitive gums. If you have sensitive teeth and gums that bleed easily, choose a soft floss, such as Oral-B’s Satin Floss, that slides easily and comfortably between the teeth
You have braces. If you wear braces or have dentures, that doesn’t mean that you can’t floss. Try a specialized floss, such as Oral-B’s Super Floss, which has a stiff end that you can thread beneath the main wire of your braces and a spongy component that slides easily between the teeth
You have a child. It’s important to teach children the benefits of flossing at a young age. You can start teaching children to floss their teeth at about age 5-7 years, but many children are less than enthusiastic, and they may complain that flossing hurts or is difficult. Try a kid-friendly flossing tool, such as the Oral-B Stages flossers, which are designed to be easy for children to handle and feature kid-friendly characters
You have difficulty manipulating floss. Try an electric flosser, such as the Oral-B Hummingbird. An electric flosser is neat and easy, especially if you don’t like reaching into the back of your mouth. And an electric flosser provides the right amount of pressure to leave your gums feeling pleasantly stimulated.
Wine tasters may be at high risk for enamel stain and erosion. Why? Sipping wine many times a day -- and swishing it in the mouth -- increases the enamel's exposure to damaging acids. That is why it's better to drink a glass of wine, soda, or sweet tea with a meal instead of sipping it over several hours.
Saliva has an important job to do in your mouth. For starters, it helps to remove food particles. But it also helps prevent tooth decay and infection by washing away plaque and keeping disease-causing bacteria from building up on your teeth and gums. But saliva can’t do all that work by itself. So it’s important to remove plaque yourself by practicing good oral hygiene, which means proper flossing each day, and twice-daily tooth brushing. Most of us don’t think about the moisture in our mouths until our mouths become dry. A variety of conditions can cause dry mouth, also known as xerostomia, including the following:
Cancer treatments. If you have any type of cancer of the head or neck and you receive radiation therapy, dry mouth is a common side effect because the radiation damages the salivary glands in addition to destroying the cancer. Some medications used to treat cancer in any part of the body can also cause dry mouth.
Prescription medications. Hundreds of common medications, including many antidepressants and medications for high blood pressure, can contribute to a dry mouth. If you take medications that seem to make your mouth feel dry, be especially vigilant about tooth brushing and proper flossing.
Nerve damage. Some types of injuries to the head or neck can damage the specific nerves that tell the salivary glands to produce saliva.
Chronic illness. Diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and Parkinson’s disease are among the diseases that can contribute to a chronic dry mouth.
Drug use. Methamphetamines have been associated with dry mouth.
To read the entire article please visit: OralB.com
Specific Care for Seniors
