To maintain good dental and oral health is important for everyone regardless of age.  Make sure to brush your teeth at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste. Floss at least once a day and visit your dentist regularly.

With that said some seniors need further assistance to maintain their dental health here are some tips.

* Brushing: For seniors that have arthritis holding a toothbrush may be hard. Make sure you buy a toothbrush with a thicker handle for easier grip.

* Brushing: Seniors may find it easier to use a electric tooth brush. This way if it is harder to brush for the two minutes the electric tooth brush is able to do a better job in a shorter time.

* Flossing: Flossing can be difficult to near impossible when dealing with conditions such as arthritis. Try using dental flossing picks as they are easier to hold and use then regular floss.

* Dentist: It is important to go to your dentist regularly and for seniors you want to make sure your dentist is equipped to handle any special needs you may have. If going to the dentist is not made easy for you, then your are more likely not to keep your dental appointments.

In prior post we talked about the many different oral health problems that seniors are at risk for. However age itself is not a dominant or sole factor in determining dental and oral health.  Yet certain medical conditions,  such as arthritis in the hands and fingers, may make brushing or flossing teeth more difficult or impossible to perform.

Drugs can also affect oral health and may make a change in your dental treatment necessary.  That why it is important for seniors to maintain regular dental visits in order to maintain good oral health during their live time.

The National Council on Disability (NCD) has released a statement expressing its disappointment that the United States Senate fell short of the votes needed to approve the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The CRPD was developed with the same goals as the Americans with Disabilities Act: to promote and protect the rights of people with disabilities around the world, so they can work, live independently and have full integration and inclusion in society.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) has added 35 new Compassionate Allowances (CAs) conditions, bringing the total number of conditions in the expedited disability process to 200. CAs let SSA quickly identify diseases and other medical conditions that meet SSA’s standards for disability benefits. Disability decisions are then processed much more quickly for Americans with the most serious disabilities.

Denture-induced stomatitis is caused by ill-fitting dentures, poor dental hygiene, or a buildup of the fungus Candida albicans cause this condition, which is inflammation of the tissue underlying a denture. Make sure if you wear dentures that you take proper care of them and you have them adjusted by your dentist when fit becomes and issue.

The Federal Communications Commission has announced that the four major wireless carriers – AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile – have agreed to speed up the availability of text-to-911 cell phone service starting in 2013. Text-to-911 will provide consumers, including those with hearing and speech disabilities, access to emergency services by letting them send a text message to 911.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has reached an agreement with the Houston Housing Authority over allegations that the agency refused a deaf resident’s requests for a sign language interpreter. The resident needed an interpreter present at a hearing to determine her eligibility to remain in HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Fair Housing Act prohibit discrimination against persons with disabilities.

Due to increase risk of gum disease as disused in a prior post, tooth loss due to gum disease also increases.  However this is easily avoided by maintain good oral health care habits and see your dentist at least twice a year or as advise by your dentist.

Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) have found that adults with autism, who represent about 1 percent of the adult population in the United States, report significantly worse health care experiences than their non-autistic counterparts. “Like other adults, adults on the autism spectrum need to use health care services to prevent and treat illness.

The Senior Medicare Patrol hotline has been ringing off the hook, according to Micki Nozaki, the Senior Medicare Patrol Data Specialist. In the last 2 months, the Senior Medicare Patrol office has received 14 calls regarding a recent phone scam that is quickly spreading across the U.S. In this scam, callers tell beneficiaries that they are receiving a new Medicare card. Callers then ask beneficiaries to take out their check books and read them the numbers on the bottom of the check. Many elders have fallen for it. Yet, thanks to Senior Medicare Patrol volunteers spreading the word and putting out fraud alerts in English, Spanish, Chinese and Vietnamese to senior centers and senior housing sites around the state, many beneficiaries are also hanging up and reporting these calls to their local Senior Medicare Patrol programs.

Another scam that has been notified of is particularly focused on the Vietnamese community. Callers are telling Vietnamese elders that they can qualify for Social Security benefits; they just need to send in $80 to apply.

Again remember that Medicare and Social Security will never call to sell you anything, will never ask you for your checking account number, and will not ask you to send money to apply for a benefits program. If you come across a similar scam or other Medicare fraud, contact our California Senior Medicare Patrol at 1-855-613-7080. See our Medicare Fraud section for more info on fraud and how to become a volunteer in your own community.

Caused by dental plaque and is made worse by food left in teeth, in addition to the use of tobacco products, poor-fitting bridges and dentures, poor diets, and certain diseases, such as anemia, cancer, and diabetes.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has sued American Tool & Mold of Clearwater, FL, with alleged disability discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The company fired an employee because he did not provide a medical release for a six-year old back surgery. Requiring some employees to provide medical documentation for old medical conditions violates the ADA. The employee had performed well for two months during the time he was trying to get the outdated medical release.

The common assumption that a couple of glasses of wine are a boost to your heart’s health may be wrong if you are overweight or obese, say researchers from Curtin University’s Public Health Advocacy Institute.

In the Australia and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, researchers Tim Lobstein and Mike Daube acknowledge that previous studies have shown a ‘J-shaped’ curve, indicating that a little alcohol might lower your risk of heart disease while a lot will certainly raise the risk. But they were concerned that the original data came from surveys undertaken over forty years ago, among populations who were much slimmer than they are now.

In a prior post we talk about how dry mouth often times can effect seniors. However dry mouth can be treated. Your doctor can prescribe artificial saliva, which will help keep your mouth less dry.  You can go over your medication and see if they can be switched to ones that will not cause dry mouth.

There are also some home remedies that may help reduce dry mouth such as the use of a humidifier, chewing sugar free gum, drinking more water, and munching on such waterlogged snacks as celery sticks which helps stimulate the saliva glands and adds moisture to your mouth

For some people as we age we can start to have receding gum issues.  This is when the gum recedes from the tooth. When this happens the tooth root is exposed and there is a higher risk of tooth decay.

Researchers at Emory University School of Medicine have obtained a detailed molecular picture that shows how glucocorticoid hormones shut off key immune system genes. The finding could help guide drug discovery efforts aimed at finding new anti-inflammatory drugs with fewer side effects. The results were scheduled for publication by the journal Nature Structural & Molecular Biology.