Atlantic Dental Group · Wilmington, NC

Dental Care for Older Adults

Brunswick County is 35 percent over 65 and the dental needs at that stage are specific: dry mouth from medication, root decay, failing old work, and decisions about what to save.

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1987 Serving Wilmington since 50,000+ Patients treated 50+ Years combined experience 3 Doctors, one location

Dry mouth is doing more damage than you think

Blood pressure medication, cholesterol drugs, antidepressants and antihistamines all reduce saliva, and saliva is the mouth's main defense against decay. Patients who never had a cavity in their life start getting root decay in their seventies.

Root surfaces decay differently

Exposed root has no enamel over it and it softens faster than the crown of the tooth. These cavities move quickly and they sit at the gum line where they are easy to miss.

Old work reaching the end of its life

Crowns and bridges placed in the 1980s and 90s are failing now. The question is usually whether to keep repairing individually or to plan a rebuild that holds.

Deciding what to save

Not every tooth is worth saving, and not every tooth should come out. We will give you our honest read on which is which, with the reasoning.

Denture and implant options

From relining a denture that has stopped fitting, through two implants to stabilize a lower, to a fixed All-on-4 arch. There is a wide middle ground between a loose denture and a full mouth of implants.

Brunswick County in particular

Thirty-five percent of Brunswick County is 65 or older, and a large share arrived from somewhere else without an established dentist here. We see a lot of first visits that start with a records transfer from another state.

Questions we get asked

Does Medicare pay for dental work?

Original Medicare does not cover routine dental treatment. Some Advantage plans carry a limited benefit with an annual cap.

My medication has given me a dry mouth. Does that matter?

Considerably. Saliva is the mouth's main defense against decay, and reduced flow produces root cavities in patients who never had a problem before.

Is it too late to save my teeth?

Rarely as late as people assume. What is realistic depends on bone and gum condition, and an exam with x-rays answers it properly.

Am I too old for dental implants?

Age on its own is not a disqualifier. We place implants for patients in their eighties. Health and healing capacity matter more than the number.

My denture has stopped fitting. Can it be fixed?

Usually. The ridge underneath keeps resorbing, so relines are normal and expected. Two implants to stabilize a lower is the upgrade most patients wish they had done sooner.

Ready when you are