Maintaining good oral health may help older adults prevent a variety of health problems and disabilities. In a study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, researchers explored this connection.
In their study, the research team examined information from more than 60,000 community-dwelling people aged 65 and older who did not meet the Japanese criteria for needing long-term care. The participants were given questionnaires to complete. They answered a number of questions, including providing information about: 
- How many teeth they had
- Their medical and mental health history
- How many falls they had had over the last year
- Whether they smoked or drank alcohol
- Their body weight
- How well they were able to perform common activities of daily life
The researchers learned older adults who have significant tooth loss are less functional when compared with people who lose fewer teeth. The research team suggested that it is essential that older adults receive the support they need to maintain good oral health self-care practices, and that they receive adequate dental care.
If you, your family or friends need dental care, we would be honored to provide you with state-of-the-art dental care in our modern dental practice. Refer someone you love to someone you trust!
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A: Dental sealants are a protective coating a dentist applies to shield the teeth’s enamel layer from food debris that can get caught in the uneven surfaces of your teeth. In particular, the teeth in the back of your mouth have pits and fissures. The uneven terrain of those teeth is especially vulnerable to the development of cavities.
Because we know our patients don’t want to be forced to choose their dentist from a discount list, we are “unrestricted providers”. That means that even though we aren’t in your network, we can still see you and provide the best quality dentistry possible. We’ll inform you of our fees and help you estimate how much your insurance will reimburse you. We will still submit your insurance claim for you. We’ll offer you some great payment options. You may be paid directly by your insurance company. We’ll be happy to review your insurance plan with you.
Dental insurance and medical insurance are very different. With medical insurance, typically there is a deductible and once that amount is met, medical insurance pays a portion (80% is common) of the rest of the balance of the medical bill, however large. Dental “insurance” works more like a coupon. There is usually a deductible with it too, but then it typically pays only up to a specific dollar amount per year, perhaps $1000. So the dental benefit is limited to that yearly maximum. It is a help in paying for dental treatment, but it definitely does not pay for all of it.