get more elderly Patients to your dental practice!

Geriatric dentistry is surely a forgotten dental specialty. While most dentists nowadays are focused on implantology and cosmetic dentistry, which is understandable considering the current market requirements, dental care for the elderly should not be overlooked.

Millions of senior citizens live in assisted living facilities, which are only capable of providing limited healthcare, especially when it comes to dentistry, where only the basic needs of pain control, filling and extractions can only be provided. The elderly only want to live their remaining days in peace, and their requirements regarding their teeth and oral conditions are very limited. They most often only require to not have pain in their mouth, and have sturdy teeth to eat what they want without discomfort.

According to the Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics projects, the number of elderly patients will reach 72 Million, representing nearly 20% of the population by the year 2030[1]. This is a very important indication that in the upcoming years, geriatric dentistry will be a very important, and therefore lucrative, dental specialty. A study conducted by the health and health care. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living in 2013, most seniors suffer from at least one chronic condition, such as hypertension (71%), arthritis (49%), heart disease (31%), any cancer (25%), and diabetes (21%)[2]. Any of these conditions may have a direct or indirect effect on oral and dental health, and so must be monitored with extreme care by dentists. Also, some seniors are affected by a form of cognitive impairment, such as dementia or Parkinson’s disease, making their healthcare especially oral healthcare severely compromised[3]. They would need active supervision and more frequent visits to the dentist to detect newly formed problems and cavities, and treat them before they become severe or un-restorable.

As a dentist, you should pay attention to the elderly population, as it is definitely on the rise. The most common conditions that affect an elderly mouth is xerostomia or dry mouth, which is probably due to the wide array of medications that they take for their chronic conditions, root caries which is due to the dry mouth as well as receding gums, and of course edentulism or teeth loss, that occurs with increasing age and compromised medical condition. Therefore, most of the elderly are looking for a comfortable replacement of their lost teeth and dental tissues, which come in the form of dental implants, complete and partial dentures .

A smart dentist should start thinking from now on how to attract more elderly, patients to their clinics, as it will probably be the next big thing in dentistry after dental cosmetics and implants. That’s why a senior service website such as Senior Service Maps (http://www.ssmaps.com) , is a very important aspect in promoting your geriatric dentistry practice .It is designed specifically for the purpose of bringing healthcare providers such as physicians , hospitals and dentists , closer to the elderly community , especially those living in assisted living facilities With prices starting at less than $24.95 per month , which offers you  promotions and guiding traffic directly to your website or page , and there is no commissions on each referral , it is almost like  getting free publicity and traffic to your practice . You can even begin by using a 30-day free trial by subscribing your practice to our website. Add your practice to the rising community of Senior Service Maps and you will be the winner.

[1] Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics. Older Americans 2012: Key indicators of well-being  Accessed October 30, 2015.

[2]  Administration on Aging (AOA). Health and health care. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living

[3] Yellowitz JA, Schneiderman MT. Elder’s oral health crisis. J Evid Based Dent Pract 2014;14 Suppl:191-200

[4] Photo Credit: penticton dentist