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LIFETIME DENTAL CARE
Dental Care throughout your whole life
Lifetime Dental Care is a life course approach to your oral health care.
Many changes will occur in your mouth over your life span. Certain conditions can arise over time, which are unique to a particular stage of life.
The life course approach is about recognising the importance of life stages and how each relates to the other, in terms of your oral health.
Lifetime Dental Care
At Melbourne Dentistry we believe focused dental care at specific times during your life can better maintain your oral health. You can then reduce your risk of oral disease - to ensure your teeth last for life.
By optimising dental health at earlier stages of life, oral health can be better overall, and easier to maintain during subsequent stages of life.
Maintaining oral health is also essential to general health and wellbeing, through out the life cycle.
Dental Skills for Life
Theories in behavioural science suggest the techniques and behaviours an individual learns in childhood tend to be carried forward into adult life.
People often revert to 'what they know'. By this we mean, the skills, habits, attitudes and values about life habits such as dental hygiene and diet. How you do things now, may be what you were taught when you were young.
Self care knowledge is also more easily acquired in childhood and adolescence than at later stages of life. Good life skills learnt early will have a longer positive effect for good heath.
Timing Prevention
Preventive dental care may commence at any point in time, but will be of the greatest benefit when initiated early. Prevention can begin during prenatal development and infancy.
Delaying the onset of dental decay in childhood, for as long as possible will reduce the cycles of future fillings. By preserving tooth structure and tooth strength into later life, you will keep more good tooth structure 'in the bank'. This means you may be more likely to increase the chances of keeping your teeth for life.
Preventing and identifying gum problems early, will also help preserve tooth support and reduce the likelihood of tooth loss.
Growth And Oral Health
Dental experiences during critical periods of growth and development can shape future oral health. Tooth development is unique to particular ages and can impact one’s appearance, smile and function.
Orthodontic treatment can improve tooth alignment to make dental hygiene easier and protect teeth from destructive wear.
At times Orthodontics may optimise breathing function and reduce future risks of sleep apnea. The timing of orthodontics is important.
Hormones, Habits, Activities And Oral Health
Late adolescence to early adulthood is a key life transition toward independence. These years require support to ensure self care routines and regular dental visits continue.
Other factors may operate across the life span. Hormonal influences with puberty, menstruation, oral contraception, fertility treatments, pregnancy, lactation and menopause contribute specific challenges that may make dental problems more likely.
There are times in life when recreational activities increase tooth decay or trauma risks. Social and lifestyle habits in adulthood can impact the care and health of the mouth.
Oral Health Problems
The structure of oral tissues changes with age. Age related changes can influence the quality of life. They can also influence rates of natural decline. This is normal and part of the aging process. However, oral diseases and functional problems may also become more likely as time passes.
The cumulative effects of a lifetime of oral disorders and habits can impact the ageing mouth. By this, we mean, how your mouth tissues survive, look and function into senior years. The oral - general health connection adds another dimension to the importance of oral health. There will be times when you need more dental care. And we can help!
Changes in Self Care
One's consistency of self-care routines will often fluctuate with life events and stresses. We see this all the time. But in later years, one's manual dexterity may reduce through arthritic disease. Vision will reduce through natural ageing and disease. Motivations with self care can relax. For some people, mental health and/or acuity may also change. More dental support may be necessary at more challenging times in life.
Better, Consistent Dental Health
Maintaining oral health is a life process. Having a regular dental routine will help navigate the changing landscape that is life. Active measures can help protect your oral health. We can help support your oral health with ageing - so you age in a healthy way.
Our practice recognizes the importance of life stage issues. We appreciate the impacts that time, disease and circumstance will have on your mouth during course of life.
We tailor treatment and preventive support for changing dental needs throughout the life cycle. Together, we can help you achieve and maintain a healthy mouth, healthy body and healthier life.
