Martha is a dear patient of mine in her late 60s. She is the caretaker of her husband, Bob, who is in his early 80s. He used to be a teacher, and was never active. His muscles started atrophying at his balance slowly went downhill. He is unfortunately confined to a wheelchair now, and slowly declining in his health. Martha was telling me that he had two falls in the last six months and both times he knocked out his teeth. The first time on the right side and the second time on the left side, where he had a dental bridge made it just in the last two years. Martha is very frustrated now because of the expense she is incurring.

According to a new study, falls among the elderly are on the rise, by almost 30%. Falls are the real leading cause of fatal injuries, not only tooth related, but also fractures, subluxations, and worse, internal bleeding. Falls result in more than 2.4 million injuries treated in the emergency departments annually, out of which approximately 21,000 result in death.

The Center for disease control and prevention gives the following advice to prevent falls:

• get regular exercise to improve strength and balance
• some medications may cause dizziness, make sure you read the label.
• get your eyes checked and where are your glasses on a regular basis
• remove things that you can trip over at home, such as shoes on the floor and small rugs.
• install handrails and lights on staircases
• use tape to keep rugs from slipping
• put the grab bars in the tub, shower and next to the toilet
• put nonslip mats in the tub and shower
• improve the lighting in your home
• avoid wearing slippers and going barefoot in the house
• think about wearing an alarm device that will bring help in case you fall and can’t get up

But how do we prevent dental injuries? I suggested to Martha that we make him a day guard, which is similar to a nightguard, but a little bit thinner, that Bob could wear throughout the day. It is almost like a sports guard, that would protect his teeth against an impact, in case of falling. I also recommended her to hire a personal trainer, who specializes in elderly. Bob can slowly get his balance back this way.

If you have someone in a wheelchair who is prone to falling, ask your dentist about a day guard, to protect their teeth, and their pocket book from expensive dental work.

In great health,
Dr. Sanda

To discuss your situation and dental options one on one, contact Dr. Sanda Moldovan to schedule a personal consultation.