Drs Menaker and Rodney E-News
Smilecharlotte.com
In This Issue
Dental Solutions
Healthy Aging Month
OralFit Tip
5 Solutions to Dental Problems for Older Adults




Aging is a natural part of life. Dealing with dental problems doesn't have to be. In honor of Healthy Aging Month, here are five common dental ailments that often affect older adults and how to combat them.

1. Cavities- Tooth decay is the top chronic disease among people 65 and older. Brushing and flossing twice a day is your best defense against forming cavities.

2. Dry Mouth- Often times this is due to medications, and the simple solution may be talking to your physician about changing the medication you are on. If this is not an option, try xylimelts (sold in our office and online).  They will moisten your mouth and secrete xylitol, a natural-cavity fighting agent.

3. Gum Disease- Gum disease not only effects the gum, but the bone that holds the teeth in place. The key to prevention is simple -good oral health care. Brushing, flossing, and professional cleanings ensure plaque does not stay on the teeth long enough to cause damage to the gums.

4. Poor Denture Care- Dentures are just like natural teeth, in they must be cleaned and kept free of food particles. Dentures should be removed at night to soak in water or cleaning solution. This also allows the gum tissue to have some much needed "breathing" time. Even with no teeth a regular dental exam should be part of your oral health routine. 

5. Oral Cancer- 95% of oral cancers occur in people older than 45. Both Dr. Menaker and Dr. Rodney do an oral cancer screening during their exam. Why is this important? Oral cancers diagnosed in the early stages have a much higher success rate.

With a little extra caution and practicing good oral habits, anyone can enjoy good oral health well into the golden years.
Get the SmileCharlotte App!
Search for SmileCharlotte 
and download our App for great info and features.


7
04-377-2503 (P)
704-377-6032 (F)

    Hours of Operation
  Monday-Thursday
     7:00 AM-3:30 PM

   Closed for lunch
    12:00-12:30 
                                  info@smilecharlotte.com
Healthy Aging Month 
Tips For Healthy Aging
 
Think it's too late to "reinvent" yourself? Think again. According to Carolyn Wor�thing�ton, editor-in-chief of Healthy Aging� Magazine and executive director of Healthy Aging�, "it's never too late to find a new career, a new sport, passion, or hobby."

September is healthy aging month, use this month as motivation to evaluate your life, see if you are happy and adjust accordingly. It's never too late to change, to get started reinventing yourself.  Check out a few tips below:

1)  Be positive in your conversations and your actions every day. When you catch yourself complaining, check yourself right there and change the conversation to something positive. (Tip: Stop watching the police reports on the local news.)

2)  Stand up straight! You can knock off the appearance of a few extra years with this trick your mother kept trying to tell you. Look at yourself in the mirror. Are you holding your stomach in?  Do you have your shoulders, back, and chin up? Check out how much better your neck looks.  Fix your stance and practice it every day, all day until it is natural. You will look great and feel better. (Tip: Your waistline will look trimmer if you follow this advice.)

3)  How's your smile? Research shows people who smile more often are happier. Your teeth are just as important to your good health as the rest of your body. Not only is it the first thing people notice, but good oral health is a gateway to your overall well-being. (Tip: Go to the dentist regularly and look into teeth whitening. Nothing says old more than yellowing teeth.) 

4)  Make this month the time to set up your annual phys�i�cal and other health screen�ings. Go to the appoint�ments and then, hope�fully, you can stop wor�ry�ing about ail�ments for a while.

5)  Lonely? Stop brood�ing and com�plain�ing about hav�ing no friends or fam�ily. Do some�thing about it now. Right this minute. Pick up the phone and make a call to do one or more of the fol�low�ing: vol�un�teer your time, take a class, invite some�one to meet for lunch, brunch, din�ner, or cof�fee. Choose a new person every week for your dining out.  (Tip: Vol�un�teer at the local pub�lic school to stay in touch with younger peo�ple and to keep cur�rent on trends. Take a com�puter class or a tuto�r�ial ses�sion at your cell phone store to keep up with tech�nol�ogy.)

Wor�thing�ton is the cre�ator of Sep�tem�ber is Healthy Aging� Month, an annual health obser�vance designed to focus national atten�tion on the pos�i�tive aspects of grow�ing older. Now in its sec�ond decade, Wor�thing�ton says Sep�tem�ber is Healthy Aging� Month pro�vides inspi�ra�tion and prac�ti�cal ideas for adults, ages 50-plus, to improve their phys�i�cal, men�tal, social, and finan�cial well being.

*All content is from: Healthy Aging
OralFit Tip 
Did you really take a good look 
at your teeth?  How do you 
feel about your smile?  
Are you missing several teeth?

Missing teeth: 
What is the difference between a bridge, an 
implant, a partial denture, a full 
denture, and an "All-on-4"?

Dental bridges literally bridge the gap created by one or more missing teeth. A bridge is made up of crowns for the teeth on either side of the gap, and a crown attached in the middle.  It can include multiple missing teeth.
 
A dental implant is an artificial tooth root that is surgically anchored into your jaw to hold a replacement tooth or bridge in place. The benefit of using implants is that they don't rely on neighboring teeth for support and they are permanent and stable. Implants are the best    solution to replace lost teeth because they look and feel like    natural teeth.
A removable partial denture usually consists of replacement teeth attached to a pink or gum-colored plastic base, which is sometimes connected by metal framework that holds the denture in place in the mouth. Partial 
dentures are used when one or more natural teeth remain in the upper or lower jaw.  These appliance can feel a little bulky as it covers the roof of the mouth or along the tongue area.


A full denture is a removable appliance that can be used when all teeth are missing. It also provides lip support that is missing that the teeth normally provide for. 


The All-on-4 dental implant technique utilizes four implants per arch to hold the replacement teeth in place.  The implants of the All-on-4 procedure are also placed at an angle, which allows for increased contact by using the natural support of your bone. The benefits of the All-on-4 dental implants versus a full denture:
  • Permanently fixed teeth that are brushed and cleaned like natural teeth
  • Do not have to be taken out 
  • Do not need adhesives
  • Are comfortable because they do not press down on your gums
  • Allow you to experience the hot and cold of your food, as well as the taste
  • Allow you to bite with increased force (up to 70% more), so you can eat all of your favorite foods again
  • Prevent bone deterioration 
  • Restore your facial features