“Nursing Homes” include:
- Memory Care Facilities
- Intensive Care Facilities
- Skilled Nursing Facilities
- Board and Care Homes
Why provide dental care if they have no teeth?
Elderly people who live in nursing homes are at a greater risk for oral health problems than those who live independently. Even though many seniors have dentures and no real teeth left, it is still important to take care of their oral hygiene. Oral health is linked to many other health issues, such as heart disease, diabetes, and an increased risk of pneumonia. Brush the gums and tongue daily with a soft bristle toothbrush and use an antiseptic mouthwash morning and night.
Is a nursing home the best choice for your loved one?
Nursing home facilities may be the best choice for Los Angeles and Orange County patients who require long-term medical attention. Long-term care refers to a comprehensive range of medical, emotional, personal, social services, etc. This type of care is directed towards people who need 24-hour medical care and supervision.
What type of care is provided?
When you enroll your loved ones in a nursing home, you want to be assured that they are receiving the best quality of care available. The services nursing homes offer vary between different facilities. Most nursing home services often offer the most extensive care anyone can get outside a hospital. Nursing homes usually provide custodial and skilled nursing care. Custodial care is when a person is provided help with bathing, getting dressed, and eating. Skilled nursing care includes medical monitoring and treatments given by a registered nurse. Skilled care also includes other services that are provided by specially trained professionals, such as respiratory, occupational, and physical therapists. It is not common for a dentist to do full comprehensive treatment in nursing homes, but Dr. Banner offers his services to anyone who needs in-home dental care in Los Angeles and Orange County, even those who reside in a skilled nursing home.
Common dental health issues
Some of the most common dental health issues with the geriatric population are:
Food pocketing: Most of the time people with swallowing problems will exhibit this problem. This issue caused by food that accumulates in the cheeks as the person continues to eat and even hours after eating. This can lead to the formation of cavities that progress faster, especially hard to treat “root cavities.”
Root Cavities: “Root decay” occurs when cavities form on the roots of teeth rather than the crowns of teeth. This issue often occurs when the gums recede exposing the root surfaces. These types of cavities can easily be missed unless x-rays are taken when cavities are below the gum line and in between the teeth. These cavities also progress faster than cavities on the crown of the tooth because the root is softer than enamel.
Dry mouth: Many medications ingested, or cancer treatments can cause dry mouth. Saliva keeps the mouth wet, flushes food particles out from between teeth and prevents the teeth from decay and infection.
Oral cancer: As we age the risk for us obtaining oral cancer increases. Oral cancer can sometimes be detected by lesions found on your tongue or in other areas of your mouth.
Inability to properly take care of one’s own oral health: Age doesn’t always negatively affect oral health. Certain medical conditions such as Alzheimer’s dementia or arthritis in the hands and fingers make brushing teeth difficult or impossible to perform. Some people are also predisposed to dental health problems. Medications may also affect their cognitive health, making performing regular daily functions difficult to do.
Services often provided in nursing homes
Nursing home services often include:
- A room and board
- Personal care
- 24-hour emergency care
- Medication monitoring
- Social and recreational activities
What homes are you affiliated with?
Regardless of the facility you or your loved one lives in; we have always been warmly welcomed into all the facilities our patients have resided in. Below is a list of just a few of the communities we have worked with, but don’t hesitate to call us if you don’t see your community listed. We are currently working with more and more facilities and will update the list as soon as they are finalized.
- MonteCedro Senior Living – Altadena, CA
- Oakmont San Antonio Senior Living – Upland, CA
- Oakmont of Whittier – Whittier, CA
- Brookdale Senior Living – Multiple cities
- Silverado The Huntington Memory Care Community – Alhambra, CA
- Silverado Vista Memory Care Community – Azusa, CA
- Lakewood Gardens – Downey, CA
- Sunrise Claremont Senior Living – Claremont, CA
- Mountain View Memory – Claremont, CA
- Oak Park Manor – Claremont, CA
- Park Regency Retirement Center – La Habra, CA
The facilities where Dr. Banner treats patients are located all over the map. He makes trips to Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Gabriel Valley and The Inland Empire on a regular basis. Call our office at (626) 594- 0374 to get more information on which areas we cover around you!
Why In Motion Dentists?
Our services provide more than just an exam. We offer complete, comprehensive, and aesthetic dental services right in your home or care facility anywhere in the Los Angeles and Orange County area. When we come to you, there is no need to arrange transportation to or from the dental office. For patients who have special needs and treating them in a traditional dental office is too stressful for them, look no further! We are just a phone call away. Dr. Banner has been working with the elderly and special needs population for an ample amount of time and performs honest and reliable work. Whether you have a dental emergency, or it has been a long time since you’ve seen your last dentist, Dr. Banner is here to make sure that you or your loved one is provided with the highest quality of dental care.
How do I sign-up?
Caretakers or relatives should take an active role in the oral health needs of elderly people. If a loved one is currently in a memory care facility or nursing home, all oral health problems should be reported to the nursing staff for proper diagnosis. From there the facility will contact us to do treatment, or you can recommend our services to them by providing our information to the facility, and we set up everything else. We will take care of your loved one’s needs and will keep you informed throughout the whole treatment process. Usually, when a Los Angeles or Orange County patient has special needs, they are referred for sedation, but with our care, we can almost always complete treatment without the use of sedation. Dr. Banner does excellent work, and most importantly the relationships he makes with his patients is outstanding. Since we are an in-home dental service, we find it more comforting for patients to get the treatment done in their home or facility. They are more cooperative, calm, and relaxed.
What if I have a dental emergency?
We are more than qualified to treat many different forms of dental emergencies at the patient’s home in Los Angeles and Orange County. We might be able to save you a trip to the hospital if you call us first. We are on-call 7 days a week. In the event you have a dental emergency during regular office hours (Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm) please call us at (626) 594-0374. Any time after that, please call (909) 973-0099, and we will come as fast as we can.
It’s more than just an exam. We offer comprehensive dental services right in the comfort of your own home! For nursing home dental care in Los Angeles and Orange County, call to schedule an appointment today at (626) 594- 0374.
