Aspen Dental Recognizes Older Americans Month

Industry Leader Offers Tips on Senior Oral Health Care

Syracuse, NY (PRWEB) May 13, 2009 -- Since1963, Older Americans Month has been celebrated in the month of May to show appreciation for mature Americans and encourage healthy lifestyles. In observance of Older Americans Month, Aspen Dental offices across the country are providing seniors with information to ensure a lifetime of healthy smiles.

"As we age our bodies experience many physical changes such as dry mouth, loss of flexibility and increases in tooth sensitivity, all of which may lead to difficulty in performing daily oral hygiene like brushing and flossing," said Maureen Howes, Director of Hygiene Services for Aspen Dental Management, Inc. "Poor oral health has been linked with diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer. Older Americans Month provides an excellent opportunity to remind seniors that taking good care of yourself includes taking good care of your oral health."

To emphasize the important role of oral hygiene in relation to overall health, Aspen Dental is offering their senior patients the following tips:

•    Visit your dentist for regular dental hygiene checkups.

•    Brush at least twice a day with a soft-bristled toothbrush (unless otherwise specified by your dentist) and rinse with mouthwash. Brushing helps remove food and plaque on both natural teeth and dentures. It also helps prevent development of permanent stains.

•    If you are having trouble reaching all areas of your mouth when brushing, look into special toothbrushes to clean hard-to-reach areas. When brushing dentures, use a brush with soft bristles that is specifically designed for cleaning dentures.

•    Floss to remove plaque between teeth and below the gum line where your toothbrush can't reach.

•    If you wear full or partial denture, be sure they fit properly and that you are using the correct amount of denture cream. If you experience discomfort or if you are using more than one tube of denture cream every three weeks, your dentures may not fit properly and should be evaluated. Visit your dentist to see if they need to be adjusted.

•    Tell your dentist about any medical conditions, recent operations, allergies, and medications you may be taking, or changes to your medications. This will avoid any potential adverse interactions with the medications that your dentist may prescribe.

•    Know the warning signs that indicate your mouth may be at risk of infection. Check for red, swollen, bleeding gums when you brush. If you have these symptoms, see a dentist; these maybe signs of gingivitis.

•    Watch for red or white patches on your gums, cheeks or tongue, sores that fail to heal within two weeks, or an unusual hard spot on the side of your tongue. These are signs of oral cancer that should be quickly examined by your dentist.

For more information or to make an appointment with Aspen Dental, call 1-800-ASPEN DENTAL. As an added convenience, new patients can visit www.aspendent.com and click "Make an Appointment" to schedule online.

For additional information on Older American's Month, visit the U.S.

Administration on Aging website at www.aoa.gov.

ABOUT ASPEN DENTAL:

Aspen Dental is a leading provider of denture and dental care services committed to providing patients with affordable, high-quality care. Aspen Dental is the only company authorized to provide eight styles of its hand-crafted, full and partial ComfiDents® brand dentures.

Aspen Dental has grown from 13 offices and three states in 1998 to nearly 200 locations in 15 states Over 300 licensed dentists and nearly 200 dental hygienists work with Aspen Dental throughout Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin.

In 2008, Aspen Dental recorded more than 1.5 million patient visits, including visits from more than 260,000 new patients.

Aspen Dental meets the demand for high-quality, yet affordable denture and dental services by offering convenient locations, extended hours, affordable fees and a wide range of payment plan options. The company works with all insurance plans.

For more information about Aspen Dental and the services it provides, please visit www.aspendent.com

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