What A Woman’s Smile

Might Say About Osteoporosis

If you’re a woman over the age of 50, your smile -- and the teeth that brighten it -- might reveal more than just a pleasant disposition. In fact, your dentist could be the first health professional to make a diagnosis of osteoporosis, and can refer you to a general physician before the disease advances.

Osteoporosis weakens bones by reducing their density. And although the disease can strike any gender at any age, the majority of sufferers are women 50 or older. And here’s something you might not know: symptoms of tooth loss or gum (periodontal) disease could be indicators of the early stages of osteoporosis.

Your dentist may detect the onset of the disease based on oral symptoms, your medical history (including risk factors), and results of clinical and X-ray examinations. This is why SmileMore encourages you to visit your dentist regularly and to provide him or her with a complete medical history, even if you don’t think it relates to oral health.

According to the American Dental Association, there are many signs that can alert dentists to the possibility of osteoporosis:

• Bone loss in the jaw: This may be a sign of bone loss in other parts of the body.
• Tooth loss: Studies suggest that women with low bone mineral density tend to lose more teeth.
• Ill-fitting dentures in postmenopausal women: Studies show that postmenopausal women with osteoporosis need new dentures three times more often after age 50 than those without the condition.

If your dentist suspects you have osteoporosis, he or she can refer you to a physician for treatment. In addition to scheduling regular dentist visits, here are a few ways you can help prevent osteoporosis:

• Get enough calcium each day from the healthy food choices you make (and from supplements: women/1,200mg; men/800mg; anyone over age 65/1,500mg)
• Add vitamin D to your diet (and from supplements: adults up to age 70 need 600 international units daily)
• Exercise
• Quit smoking
• Decrease caffeine and alcohol intake

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Smile-More Office Happenings-

September brought us some beautiful Fall weather!

Alison celebrated a birthday. Shelly celebrated her birthday in Disney with her family, and we toast her for 22 years with our dental family!

Marina traveled to Machu Picchu, Peru and loved the Incas culture and history. 

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YOU COULD ACTUALLY SAVE HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS BY USING YOUR DENTAL BENEFITS BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR!

Another year is coming to an end and we wanted to remind you to make sure you take advantage of any unused insurance benefits you may have remaining, since most companies do not allow you to carry these over to the next year.  You can apply unused HSA dollars to your co-pay amounts as well. 

If you are someone without insurance, no worries! We have a program called Carecredit. This is a healthcare credit card with applications available in the office, and it allows you to span out payments without finance charges for 6-12 months. It also can be used on any out of pocket expenses after your benefits.

The end of the year is fast approaching! We would like to schedule your appointment to maximize your insurance benefits. Call us at 860-646-1535!!