Greetings from the office of Dr. Jack Bodie!
You must admit that it is difficult to engage any media these days without seeing some reference or advertisement to financial planning for retirement. The reason for this is the vast number of people nearing retirement. In fact, Pew Research estimates that 6,200 baby boomers will retire each day for the next nineteen years! Wow! Looks like the golf courses and cruise ships will be packed for years to come!
And really, it’s a good thing to take a close look at your financial picture long before you retire. It’s just one of those things that are important to sacrifice a little now for what’s important later on. All it takes is a little planning! So what has that got to do with teeth you ask? Well, more on that in a minute, but first a little background.
Any dentist will tell you, that there is a storm waiting for all of us as we age with regard to our teeth and gums. It is a combination of age related circumstances that can devastate our teeth and gums as we enter our 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, and beyond. Some of things that affect our dental health as we age are:
- Normal wear and tear (think cracks, old fillings, chipping)
- Wear from grinding and clenching
- Medications that cause dry mouth in an age group with already compromised salivary flow (due to normal ageing)
- Decreased bone density due to ageing and a less effective immune system to defend against gum disease
- Decreased ability to keep teeth clean due to arthritis and other physical limitations
So, what can we do to weather the storm? Well, the key really is to prepare for it. This means getting everything in order before the storm hits. And if you think about it, what makes more sense than to shore up your dental health in your 40’s and 50’s, when you are more likely to be employed, more likely to have insurance, and more able to easily tolerate necessary procedures. You’ll also give yourself a much better chance of avoiding dental emergencies and losing teeth!
One thing you’ll have to decide for sure is how important it is to have a comfortable “teeth retirement”. A question we often ask our patients is how much dentistry do you want done in your retirement years? The correct answer is none! And with technology available today, this is entirely possible.
If you’d like to see what it would take to get you ready for the storm, of if you‘re already there, we can definitely help. With over thirty years of experience, a new high tech facility, and an incredible staff, we are prepared to help you with simplest, or even the most complicated solutions. Just tell us what you want and we’ll do everything we can to help you get it! Call us at 972 235 4767 or e-mail us at BodieStaff@DrJackBodie.com for an appointment today. Ask about our new patient discounted package. It’s a great deal and a great way to see what we have to offer!