What Should Your Senior Expect During a Dental Exam?

By Kevin Edwards | October 17, 2018 |

What Should Your Senior Expect During a Dental Exam?

Elder Care Kansas City MO – What Should Your Senior Expect During a Dental Exam?

By Kevin Edwards, President

National Dental Hygiene Month, which happens every October, is the perfect time to make an appointment for your elder at the dentist. If she hasn’t been in a while, she may be a little nervous about what to expect. Some potential problems are especially important for her dentist to address.

Questions about Any Changes in Her Mouth

Your senior’s dentist might open with a few questions about whether she’s noticed any changes in her mouth since her last visit. This is an opportunity for your elderly family member to share generally how she’s been feeling. If it’s been a while since her last dental checkup, your elderly family member might feel reluctant to answer or she might not remember some changes.

Questions about Sensitivity or Pain

Sometimes people overlook sensitivity in teeth, especially when it seems to come and go. If your elderly family member only experiences sensitivity when eating something sweet, for instance, she might overlook that at the dentist. Her dentist will likely also ask her where she’s experiencing any pain, if she is at all. That’s something that her dentist can troubleshoot for her to determine what is causing either pain or sensitivity.

Questions about Her Sense of Taste

If your elder has experienced any changes to her sense of taste, that can be important information. Sometimes this is a side effect of some ailments or even medications, but it can also be a normal part of the aging process. Questioning from her dentist can help to narrow down the cause.

Questions about Swallowing and Chewing

Your elder may not think about problems with swallowing or even with chewing being something her dentist should know about. But these questions can help to determine if there’s swelling or other issues in certain areas that can be treated.

A Thorough Exam

After all these questions, your senior is finally ready for the exam that might have had her feeling nervous. This might consist of x-rays as well as a visual exam with tools. The exam helps to confirm what your senior’s dentist already suspects, just like an exam for you would. From there, her dentist can come up with some recommendations depending on her individual situation.

Knowing what to expect can help aging family members to relax a little bit about the idea of going to the dentist. Regular dental care is vital afterward. If your senior is having trouble managing her own dental care, elder care providers can help with all aspects of daily brushing, flossing, and denture care.

If you or an aging loved-one are considering Elder Care Services in the Kansas MO area, please contact the caring staff at Elder Care of Kansas City, today. Proudly serving Jackson, Clay, Platte and Cass Counties in Missouri as well as Johnson and Wyandotte Counties in Kansas for over 30 years. Call us at 816-333-3322.

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Kevin Edwards

Owner at Elder Care of Kansas City

Kevin’s life and the lives of his immediate family have been impacted by caregivers – either as a patient or a caregiver - for as long as he can remember.He watched his mother take care of his grandmother until her death at the age of 97.Five years later, his father passed from a neurological disorder that was subsequently confirmed as Lewy Body Dementia.In 2007, his wife, Lori, was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.The symptoms of Lori’s disease required Kevin to hire a caregiver during the periods of her relapses.

Prior to purchasing Elder Care, Kevin spent over 20 years in the health insurance industry.In his most recent position, he was in a financial operations role with Humana where he worked with doctors, nurses and other health professionals developing programs to keep Humana members healthy.Their focus on primary care and medication adherence improved the lives of thousands of seniors in Kansas City and the surrounding area.

Kevin and his wife, Lori, have three children.Kevin has Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Missouri.