Total Health Dentistry for Seniors

As you get older it is important to take care of your mental health, which will take care of your gut health. 

You may also have dentures or dental implants.  These need to be checked by your dentist to ensure you are getting the most out of your mouth. If you take medication that makes your mouth dry or makes your gums grow, let us take a look. We can offer you great solutions.

Seniors

A Guide to Total Digestion Success

Gut Health

Did you know that digestion starts in the mouth, not the stomach? Good health isn’t possible without good digestion. If we are missing teeth or have dentures, then you could be missing a vital step of digestion. When your gut health suffers, so does your mental health.

Focusing on nutrition is vital to the health of everyone, especially those who are in their senior years. By caring for your gut health, you are also protecting your mental health. With a healthier gut, you obtain a healthier bloodstream, which then prevents stress to the brain. 

The Recipe for Total Gut Health Success

Broths and Stews

The addition of broths and stews will assist in both gut health and mental health for seniors. This power food will heal a leaky gut that many seniors may have from past antibiotics or other medication. 

Fermented Vegetables and Pickles 

This will help restore the healthy ecosystem in your intestines, in turn, reduces your body inflammation stemming from your gut. Your brain will appreciate the relief from this inflammation.

Dentures

If your dentures are forcing you into limited nutrition, then your digestion, gut health, and consequently your mental health, will suffer. What type of dentures do you have? If you are experiencing issue like those in our list below, please contact our office for help.

Types of Dentures:

Non-Anchored 

Dentures that are held in by muscles, saliva or denture glue can potentially be bad for your health. If this type of denture is cutting into your nutrition and your ability to chew, your gut and mental health could be suffering.

Anchored

Dentures that are anchored to the jaw are implants placed where teeth used to be. If these dentures are not stable inside your mouth, you risk not being able to eat foods you may enjoy or solid foods in general.

View before & after photos of anchored dentures.

The Importance of Saliva

Salivary flow is as important as the tide. It plays a vital role in maintaining and cleaning debris and buffering acids. It is the great protector. It is also important for non-anchored dentures as it holds and seals the dentures in.

How can you increase your saliva flow?

You can increase your saliva flow by drinking more water and adding electrolytes to your beverages.

More water absorption will encourage higher quantities of saliva and will also alter the composition of your saliva, which makes it more watery and less “ropey”.

By adding more electrolytes to your diet, you will find an increase in the amount of saliva and a better consistency.

How Sante Can Help

When you become a patient at Sante Family Dental, you become partners with us in your total health care.

Your natural teeth are the best teeth you’ll ever own, and your dentist will do his or her utmost to make sure that you don’t lose any.

Remember that you also have to do your part by brushing, flossing, and seeing us regularly. It’s not age, but neglect that causes teeth to deteriorate.

Prevention is the most important step you can take to preserve your oral health. So, visit your dentist regularly and follow these oral hygiene tips to maintain your healthy smile.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Sante Family Dental team is here to support you in whichever area you may be approaching in your Total Health Dentistry journey. We’ve assembled some of our most Frequently Asked Questions for senior whole-health and dental care.

Seniors Dentistry FAQ

I suffer from dry mouth but don't want to take anymore medications. What can I do?

Adding more electrolytes to your water is a great way to increase the quality and quantity of you salvia without having to take any prescription or over-the-counter medication.

Electrolytes are minerals that are dissolved in water.  Compared to regular water, electrolytes  make it easier to enter our bloodstream via our kidneys. More water absorption means better quality of saliva.

I've had a missing tooth for a long time, but recently I've been experiencing some discomfort. What's happening?

Let’s say that for the past 25 years you’ve been missing a molar and didn’t have it replaced, or you had it pulled. This has caused the tooth above it to grow longer and caused some compression of your jaw joint. This compression is now causing gum problems around that missing tooth, which can cause major discomfort.

Even more concerning is that the damage also affects your jawbone and can cause your jawbone to deteriorate. Please let us know immediately if you think that this is happening to you.

How many dental implants do I need in order to eat anything I want?

You need a minimum of 3 dental implants in your upper jaw and 2 in your lower jaw. However, with just the bare minimum, you’ll likely still have some rocking, making eating some foods difficult.

In order to eat virtually anything you want, you’ll want 6-8 dental implants for your upper jaw, and 6 for your lower.

There are other variations;  get in touch with us if you’d like to discuss your denture options.

I need dentures, but how do I know what's right for me?

There are two types of dentures: anchored and non-anchored dentures.

Non-anchored are the ones we’re used to seeing in a glass.  As their name suggests, these dentures are not anchored to anything and are loosely placed in your mouth using your muscles or glue to hold them in place.

Anchored dentures are anchored into your jaw—where your teeth were—using dental implants, and therefore don’t require denture glue.

What are the benefits of anchored dentures?

Outside of not having to use denture glue, having anchored dentures allow you to eat a more robust diet. Since these dentures are anchored into your jaw, they’re more stable, and you will be able to eat crunchier foods like raw vegetables.

This directly links to eating a better gut nutrition-based diet, which means preventing neurological disorders as you age.

Why is "Gut Health" so vital as a senior?

The gut and brain are connected in a few ways. Therefore, the food you choose to eat can prevent future neurological disorders.

Throughout your earlier stages in life, you may have done some damage to your gut, causing leaks in your intestines. These leaks go into your bloodstream and inevitably, into your brain. Choosing the right gut-health-focused diet will help reduce your “leaky gut” and prevent more mental distress.

What should I eat to focus on gut nutrition?

Consider eating food that your parents and grandparents likely ate a lot of:

  • Bone broths and stews:
    • The gelatin actually fills in the gaps in your intestinal walls, repairing that “leaky gut”
  • Soaked and drained rice:
    • This removes the phytic acid that prevents good absorptions of minerals
  • Soaked nuts:
    • Soaking them overnight in warm water and salt will help you digest them properly.
  • Fermented vegetables, like pickles.:
    • This helps to restore a healthy ecosystem in your intestines, reducing body inflammation.
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