Mobile Dental Xpress

The average age of a person who wears dentures is about 44 years old and it’s rising. If you wear dentures or care for someone who does, this article is for you.

It is important to remove your dentures and clean them well after every meal. Not cleaning dentures could lead to diseases.

Researchers in Japan found that seniors who slept in their dentures had more than double risk of developing pneumonia.

And of course, when you care for your dentures well you will have a beautiful smile.

The Products That You Need

Dr Bernard’s Cleanadent is a good liquid to use to clean your dentures. Not only will it help the dentures properly, but it also has familiar ingredients, such as vitamin D, Vitamin A, coconut oil, and tea tree oil. Further, it does not contain artificial flavor or coloring.

You also need a specialist denture brush to clean dentures. A specialist brush has a smaller brush on one end that can reach the crevices in the dentures.

If you only have a toothbrush, that’s okay too. But you’ll need to work harder to remove all the debris in the dentures.

Cleaning Dentures

1. Lay a towel on the sink to protect the dentures if they fall.

2. Wet the denture toothbrush and apply Cleanadenton the toothbrush.

3. Wet your denture and start brushing them with the denture brush from the outside. Brush each tooth in circular motions and remove all food and debris.

4. Clean inside your dentures using the back end of the brush to remove the bacteria. Repeat the same thing with the lower denture.

5. Ensure that you clean the pink surface as well as the bite and the fit surface.

6. At night, soak the dentures in a dental cleaner for 20 minutes then you can soak them in regular water.

Watch this videoto help with the cleaning. If you are interested in these products, visit this website.

It is important to clean your dentures as well as maintain the oral health of your own teeth. To keep your own teeth clean floss and brush them with a good fluoride toothpaste.

Do Not Do This!

Do not sleep in your dentures. If you or your patient sleep in dentures, the bacteria, food, or plaque that got on your dentures during the day you inhale this in, causing infection.

Another important piece of advice is to never brush your dentures with toothpaste. Dentures are acrylic and are not as hard as teeth. The fluoride on the toothpaste is quite abrasive and could cause cracks in the dentures, which traps bacterial that can make you sick or cause mouth odor.

Taking care of senior citizens is a special job. One way of doing this is helping them maintain good oral health, which is essential to overall health and comfort.

Healthy teeth and gums will enable seniors to eat a variety of nutritious foods and speak clearly, which will improve their quality of life.

Having an attractive smile will also boost their confidence and help them enjoy the time that they spend with their friends and families.

Unfortunately, as seniors age, it becomes harder for them to take care of their own oral care needs.

Therefore, it is important for seniors, caregivers, and the community to work together to reduce oral neglect in nursing homes.

The Role of Nursing Homes

Oral healthcare is important for all age groups, including seniors. But poor dental healthcare is increasing in nursing homes.

Seniors are dying because of dental neglect. Nursing homes can combat this epidemic by providing adequate oral care to ensure the well-being of seniors.

For example, the simple act of inviting a dental hygienist to assess the seniors upon admission will help pick up the early onset of dental disease. The dental hygienist could also develop an oral care plan for the seniors, depending on their ability to independently perform daily chores.

Caregivers Are Important

Caregivers in nursing homes help elders eat, bathe, take their medication, and exercise.

With all these responsibilities, it is easy to see why most caregivers put oral care of seniors on the back burner. But we need to make a conscious effort to provide adequate oral care to seniors despite all of the odds.

This includes training caregivers on the importance of oral care. A lot of caregivers are not aware of how many diseases are linked to poor oral care.

When I am training caregivers, I let them know how important it is to take care of their own teeth. If they don’t know how to care for their own mouth you can’t expect them to take care of someone else’s. For more on this subject, watch my TEDx talk on how to save our seniors with just a toothbrush.

I let them know that aging adults need to have their teeth brushed every day. They need to have their dentures removed every day and their tongue cleaned. They should also see a dental hygienist regularly because if their mouth is not healthy, their whole body is not healthy

My program connecting seniors to smiles convinces dental professionals to adopt a nursing home and go in quarterly to train the staff on how to provide proper oral care.

Seniors Need to Learn Too

A lot of seniors have cognitive issues and can’t remove their dentures. Some don’t remember to brush their teeth. So, it is difficult to get their mouths cleaned.

But it is important to teach those who can tend to their oral care needs independently how important it is to remove dentures and clean them every day.

Training them is important because some seniors don’t remove their dentures. Some fear that if they remove the denture they will get lost. Others may not know that it is important to remove and clean their dentures every day.

Not removing dentures could cause complications, such as oral thrush, odors, and irritation. Educating seniors on the importance of removing dentures and other oral hygiene procedures will reduce such complications.

Community Members Can Play a Role

As a community member, you can help reduce the oral neglect of seniors. You can raise awareness of the impact of aging on oral health and the need for funding resources for oral healthcare programs for seniors.

You can use a lot of creative ways to raise awareness. This includes organizing seminars and disseminating information on mass media.

Building community awareness in addition to providing adequate oral healthcare in nursing homes will help improve the oral healthcare of seniors.

For months, outside visitors have not been allowed inside senior care facilities, leaving those inside alone. Most are locked in their rooms, getting food in a box three times a day.

As you can imagine, this has taken a mental toll on the residents. Take the case of 70-year-old Anna who lives in a nursing home in Oregon.

Anna’s husband passed on in March 2020 from Covid-19 complications. In the months following his death, there was a decline in the mental health of the senior women.

A decline in mental health has been seen with more elders over the past year. A study conducted across Asia, Europe, and America, showed that social isolation of seniors during the pandemic lead to depression, anxiety, and poor quality of sleep.

In addition to suffering from depression and anxiety, Anna would also forget to remove and clean her dentures. And since the facility had put in place restriction measures to contain the pandemic, there was no one to help her clean her mouth.

How is depression linked to oral health?

Studies show that depression can affect oral health because seniors could stop cleaning their teeth and avoid dental care. This could lead to gum disease.

Compounded with Covid- 19 restriction measures, depression and anxiety have worsened the oral health of seniors. Poor oral health can cause pain as well as eating, sleeping, and communication problems.

Not cleaning teeth can cause a buildup of plaque, which can harden to tartar. Tartar can lead to gingivitis, an infection of the gum. If gingivitis is left untreated it can progress to periodontitis.

Periodontal disease has been linked to stroke, diabetes, heart disease, pneumonia, and other respiratory diseases.

As you can see, not attending to the oral needs of elders could lead to a host of problems.

When the nursing homes were open, dental professionals would visit and help clean their teeth and dentures, check for infections, and offer treatment.

But with Covid-19 restriction measures in place, the seniors have had to tend to their own oral care needs.

Turning things around

Advancement in dentistry has made it possible for seniors to keep their teeth longer, meaning oral healthcare is essential.

While there has been increasing attention on improving oral care for frail adults, the oral care of seniors living in long-term care facilities is still poor.

As the long-term care facilities are relaxing Covid-19 restrictions, dental professionals begin visiting the nursing homes again. They can help brush, floss, and take preventative measures to keep bacteria away.

Dental professionals also can help treat gum disease. They may conduct surgery for severe cases of gum disease. Those suffering from tooth loss can receive partial or complete dentures.

What’s more, you can contact dental professionals like me to offer training to Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs). This will help them take care of senior’s oral health better.

Know the facts

It is all over the news and other health platforms: Seniors are the main target for the fatal disease we call “COVID-19”. Since COVID-19 has hit our communities, social distancing has been emphasized. It is plastered on billboards, social media platforms and integrated into every other television commercial. The information is excellent, but many infomercials leave out proper dental care instructions during infection and after infection. First, we must clarify how this disease is caught and spread. The virus is thought to spread when infected people sneeze or cough, possibly by touching contaminated surfaces. Since COVID can be spread through saliva, it is sensible to assume that it can be spread through objects that are touched by “infected” saliva objects such as toothbrushes. Mobile Dental Xpress is here to educate you and give you  4 practical tips that could potentially limit the spread of Covid in your household and decrease the time of sickness if you are suffering from this illness.

4 Practical Tips that Could Potentially Limit the Spread of COVID-19

Dental/ toothbrush distancing

Let’s walk through the significant effects of small oversights, shall we? More often than not, there is more than one patient in one room. Maybe each patient has a different color toothbrush but have we as caregivers considered the detrimental consequences of storing multiple patient’s toothbrushes in the same vicinity? This decision could cost a patient their life. Imagine the detriments of putting a disease-infested toothbrush in the mouth of a patient that is already suffering from withering illnesses? This point brings us to our next tip...

Change out the patient’s toothbrush daily.

Caregivers must be adamant about changing the patient’s toothbrush daily. Be sure to do this if you have any inclination that the patient is sick and at least a week after the patient has recovered if the sickness is confirmed. A new toothbrush will enable the patient to fully recover and minimize the patient’s risk of getting sick again. Electric toothbrushes are easier to change out since all you have to do is to replace the head. Even if the patient is not sick, the

American Dental Association recommends replacing your toothbrush every 3 to 4 months or sooner if the bristles look worn out.

Wash your hands before touching  ANYTHING!

Be sure to never touch your toothbrush, toothpaste, or floss before washing your hands. If your patient can brush their teeth, please encourage them to do the same. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol will also work just fine.

Each Patient should have their own toothpaste to limit the chances of cross-contamination.

Sharing toothpaste is not an option in long-term care facilities. There are too many chances that one toothpaste tube can touch the tip of the tube directly onto the patient’s toothbrush. Cross-contamination can be fatal.

All in all, the key takeaway here is there is more to be done to protect you and your patient. Wearing a mask and social distancing is just the beginning. If you are a CA, Dental Hygienist, or  Dentist keeping these practical tips in mind could save a life. For more information and training, be sure to

I fell in love with capturing smiles at a young age, and I continue to love the warm feeling that it gives me. My grandmother would always say that a smile is something that you can give away and still keep for yourself. My passion for the greatest generation stems from my personal experiences with my grandmother. We never wanted to consider long-term care living, but when her health continued to decline it became the only option. It took months for my grandmother and me to adjust to the new life we were both living. Though she was a longtime resident of a senior living facility, I became a long term outside caregiver of that facility. I did not realize it then, but she was my first patient.

I tried my best to come prepared. Weeks passed by, and I became my grandmother's primary oral health caregiver. Her roomate must have caught wind of this because she started to open up to me.I will never forget when I heard Madea's roommate speak to me for the first time. Little did I know she would be my second patient. Every time I came into their room, she stared but never talked to me even when I spoke to her. I knew that she was a sweet lady, as Madea told me so. 

She motioned me to come over to her, and I did. I bent down, and she said in the sweetest voice, "Baby, can you clean my teeth? Mine doesn't come out as your grandmother's do". I was happy to oblige.

I was able to see firsthand how oral care in the senior community was neglected. 

Surprisingly, seniors do not get the basic oral care of getting their teeth brushed daily. Since then, I have made it my life's mission to bring Oral Care to aging adults who cannot afford it. “The Saving Our Seniors One Smile at a Time fundraiser” is one of my many efforts to expand our reach. We would love for you to be apart of this journey.Mobile Dental Xpress Wellness & Nutrition is an organization developed to provide free dental care to older adults and veterans in the community who cannot afford to do so on their own. We will provide cleanings, simple extractions, dentures, and denture repairs, all at no cost. The goal is to raise $20,000 to refurbish the mobile dental unit and purchase a truck to move it around the city to provide much-needed dental care. As a thank you for supporting, we have some rewards for you! These rewards include free mobile dental and entrepreneur start-up consultation with a landing page to help you get your feet off the ground or free oral care health kits. 

Guess what? Thanksgiving is in a week or so, and soon after, it will be Christmas! We are sure that you and your colleagues haven't put much thought into it, but you have been preparing seniors all year for this glorious season. For those patients who have lost the ability to do their ADL's, you are a huge reason why they get to enjoy the holidays. Mobile Dental Xpress would like to extend our appreciation to all Geriatric staff that contributes to bettering seniors' lives. The seniors in long-term care facilities are not doing any cooking or physical preparations. Surely they are looking forward to socializing and eating. They will not be able to do either if they suffer from achy gums, teeth, and ill-fitting dentures. Proper oral care is the gift that keeps giving. Mobile Dental Xpress is calling in an S.O.S to all seniors, caregivers, senior lovers, and dental professionals to join the movement to ensure that seniors can get the dental care they deserve. Let's talk about some ways that you continue to spread the holiday cheer through your oral caregiving.

What Oral Caregivers are not Telling You

Judging by the condition of many seniors, one could assume that most caregivers do not care about their patients. This is a misconception. CNA's and CMA's are trained and their training is packed into a very brief class with little to no hands-on training they are then thrown out into the field and given several seniors and disabled patients to take care of. They are essentially learning as they go. That is why it is our duty as dental professionals to educate them and encourage them much as we can. I surveyed caregivers from facility to facility. They all told me the same thing "they have anxiety when they are brushing the patients' teeth or extracting their dentures." I believe that this anxiety and fear comes from a lack of education and training as health care professionals. 

One of the number one misconceptions that caregivers have is that they should stop brushing the patient's teeth if they see blood. This assumption is wrong. Yes, bleeding gums indicate that the patient has poor oral health, but that is more of a reason to continue to brush the patient's teeth. Bleeding gums can also be a dead give away that the caregiver is not brushing correctly. It is understandable to be alarmed when the blood appears but, what happens to the senior's teeth if the caregiver stops brushing?

What Happens to the Teeth When They are Not Brushed?

When oral care is neglected, inflammation, and redness are normal. Inflammation is another leading cause for the teeth to bleed when the patient's teeth are brushed. As a dental health provider, I encourage colleagues and caregivers to continue to brush because typically, the food lies on the front of the senior's teeth or dentures. Their gums and teeth can be compromised. It is imperative to brush at the gumline front and back and not stop if a little blood appears. If the gums are bleeding a lot, then it is time to call us in. Mobile Dental Xpress offers onsite dental services, and emergency services treat the patient. 

There are three practical tools to brush a patient's teeth properly. Caregivers can brush with a:

1. Sponge Lollipop

2.Baby Toothbrush 

3.Adult Toothbrush 

If you have been putting off your annual checkup with the dentist, you are not alone. According to the NYtimes. Research has shown that many seniors are scared of visiting the dentist. Regardless of this fear, oral health is still a top priority. There are mobile options that can ease fear anxiety, allowing residents to experience in-home service. Mobile Dental Xpress is all about providing comfort for our patients. Preventive care will not only keep patients pearly whites looking fresh and clean, but it also improves their ability to chew, make facial expressions, speak better, smile, and taste the food that they eat.

Prevention is Key

Failing to make oral health a priority leads to negative consequences. One of the major opposing effects includes reducing life quality by creating a doorway for other diseases to creep in. For instance, many seniors suffer from periodontal disease due to poor oral health. Aged adults with periodontal disease suffer from mouth pain, bad breath that doesn't go away, chewing difficulties, and even tooth loss. How hard would it be to enjoy lunch with a friend if you were always worried about bad breath or wondering if it would be painful to enjoy your next meal? Prevention is key.

Unexpected Consequences

Dental visits are particularly crucial to Seniors because tooth loss is expected within the community. It comes with the territory. Tooth loss leads to several problems, such as a reduced chewing capacity due to a lack of force and bite. When a patient loses an opposite tooth, the opposing one can be displaced from its socket. This causes undesired contact with other teeth, leading to cavities, mobility, gum problems, and further damage. The pain from such dental problems is debilitating in most cases.

 Tooth loss can also lead to loss of social relationships, shame, embarrassment, and low self- esteem. As we know, the social life of the senior contributes to their overall health and wellness. When you meet someone, the first thing they notice is your teeth. If they notice their counterparts looking at the gaps in their mouth, it could make them self-conscious. As a result, some seniors might not want to be in any social interactions. This prevents elders from enjoying relationships with others, leading to isolation and depression. Compounded together, these issues may lead to a short life span.

 We can and will help your residents prevent tooth loss altogether! Mobile Dental Xpress offers routine preventative dental services. Our purpose is to provide caring and quality dental health care to each and every one of our residents. We come to you and will provide dental services tailored to meet the specific needs of our residents. Regular cleanings resolve senior dental problems in many cases. Dental Xpress offers dental implants that will replace missing teeth, allowing your residents to eat proper nutritional foods throughout their lives.

The coronavirus pandemic hit the U.S hard. Cases are still averaging around 50,000 a day, and many businesses are dealing with a financial crisis as we speak, due to lack of demand and loss of customers. However, the need seems to be increasing for the mobile and dentistry industry.

  The need for on-site visits for aging adults has increased as they have been subjected to self-isolation throughout the pandemic. There are many benefits of a mobile dental unit that will allow our seniors to continue getting the dental care they need to stay healthy.

Mobile Dentistry Is the Safest Option

Due to COVID-19, oral hygiene may have taken a back seat for our elders. According to the CDC, eight out of ten COVID related deaths reported in the United States have been among adults of ages 65 and over. The older you are, the higher the risk, and therefore it makes sense that seniors don’t want to rush off to dental clinics anytime soon. That’s where Mobile Dental XPress comes in at. Last week, we returned to “normality” and began to supply more hands-on dental care for our patients in long term care facilities. There was an overwhelming amount of debris and neglect plaguing the many seniors that we saw. Remember, if your mouth isn’t healthy, your body isn’t healthy. It’s all connected.

 The great part of Mobile Dental XPress’s services is that they don’t even have to leave the nursing home or any residence. Therefore, there is no need to worry about traveling or sitting in a waiting room with strangers! Our patients will be safer than ever as we follow the proper post-COVID-19 protocol too.

"What is called genius is the abundance of life and health."- Henry David Thoreau

 Imagine a scenario where you have all the time and money in the world. What would you like to do? Now imagine not being hale and hearty, unable to do all of these things you want to. Would the struggle you've gone through to reach this position be worth it if it came at your health expense?

 The Coronavirus pandemic has taught us this— Health is our most prized possession. If we're healthy, we can recover from every ordeal that comes our way. Wealth can always be re-earned as long as health is taken care of.

How Health Affects Daily Life And Vice-Versa

Lifestyle choices affect health. Health affects daily life. It's a cycle that you simply cannot stop pedaling.

Physical Health

Your physical health determines your way of life. If you're continually dealing with ailments, you're spending a significant portion of your time not doing things you would have liked to. Looking after yourself is key to achieving your life goals. If you're not able to move around without popping a bunch of pills every now and then, you're probably leaving a lot out of your life's to-do list.

Mental Health

Mental health is finally getting its due importance. According to WHO, 1 in 4 people suffer from mental health disorders. You must look after your emotional wellbeing, which directly affects your physical health. That is why we are dedicated to connecting seniors to smiles. Our mission to connect aging adults to loved ones who live in long-term care facilities through technology has combatted the war on their mental health. Donate to the initiative today and support the Touching Hearts and Making Smiles Program!

 Oral Health

Oral health is a subset of physical health that is often ignored. Sometimes, oral health issues are invariably linked to more significant problems like diabetes. Gum infections are known to cause an increased risk of cardiovascular disorders. If not treated in time, poor dental health can affect the heart valves, leaving your blood prone to bacterial infection. We realize that mobilization is a luxury, that is why our mobile dentistry team comes to you. At Mobile Dental Xpress, we put dental prevention into our practice. We are very passionate about promoting health and a long life within the senior community.  

As health professionals, we know that being exposed to ill patients and carried diseases is apart of the package. However, when we take our scrubs off, we have husbands, wives, children, and pets to live for. Staying healthy is a must. One of the reasons the Dentistry field is considered to be a very high-risk occupation is because it involves being exposed to aerosols.

 Just in case you never heard of aerosols, we got you covered!

What is Aerosols?

Aerosols are the residual droplets of fumes, dust, and mist in the air. As dental health professionals, we often work with tools that produce such a substance in the air.

 These particles can be dangerous because if they are inhaled or absorbed by the skin, they can cause fatal health effects for workers and patients. It has long been known that most aging adults live with at least two illnesses and or ailments (NCOA,2020). If you pair that with the high risk of being exposed to aerosols, it becomes a disaster waiting to happen.

How do we ensure safety?

Proper training is going to play a massive part in the virus prevention strategy. Staff should be informed about what aerosols are, what causes them, and how to protect themselves and patients from their many dangers if you are a facility in Florida or Georgia needing any training or in-staff services, head on over to Dental Xpress to book a consultation call. Being informed is the most effective preventative measure that we can take.

The Three P's

First, we have to identify the three common carriers of Aerosols :

Dental Instruments- Poor sterilization puts everyone at risk

Saliva- carries bacteria and viruses. Wearing the proper PPE gear is critical for optimal protection.

Operative sites - Avoid operating in crowded places and or poorly ventilated spaces as aerosols and other bacteria are trapped.

"Covid-19" is the most unfortunate occurrence that is happening to date for many industries. Though things are dark and gloomy for most businesses, things are looking up for Mobile and Teledentistry.  The need for convenient oral services has increased as immobile seniors have been subjected to lockdown. Brick and mortar businesses have closed due to the financial crisis, senior care facilities have limited visitation even to outside healthcare professionals, and senior health concerns have skyrocketed. More than ever, there is a gap that needs to be filled with staff training for nursing homes and long-term care facilities. Invite Sonya to fulfill your facilities' needs. 

We are all getting older every day, so it is no surprise that the elderly population is steadily growing.  But, did you know that  8.5 percent of the 617 million people on the Earth are  65 and over?  As health professionals, we must serve the aging population and ensure their oral health! We can do this by catering to their hearts first! Please support us in our touching hearts and making smiles initiative as we fight to connect aging adults to love ones through different technology connections. After we cater to the souls of seniors, we are tasked to cater to them physically.

Proceeding in Mobile & Teledentistry with Caution Recently the CDC  updated their infection prevention guide. The updated version expounds on how critical non-emergency dental care is. Let's explore four ways that you can practice Teledentistry and Mobile dentistry safely. It is recommended that specific infection control considerations be taken as the operation environment varies. Provide the patient with the most critical services that will prolong their health and minimize further infection risk. Remember that communication is key! Explain to patients and Explain to patients and staff that if they feel ill, it is safer

Navigating Through Post COVID 19 

Changes for everyone if they stay home.

Let’s talk about preventative care. Often, this is thought of as taking vitamins, going to annual doctor’s visits, and eating your fair share of fruits and vegetables, but dental care should be apart of that list, especially for our seniors. For years there have been raised questions about the frequency of Seniors being transferred to the E.R. The big question is: How can we reduce these numbers? Mobile dentistry promotes optimum health for patients.Monthly oral care prevents the possibility of oral diseases. Dentists and hygienists can spot complications early on and treat infections, thus keeping them out of the E.R.

Some seniors across the nation are suffering right now—some are from Covid-19, mental illnesses, physical ailments, and many other illnesses. The elephant in the room is what led patients to be in this predicament? The simple answer is there is a vast gap in oral care within nursing homes and long-term care facilities. Many of the patients in these facilities suffer from a lack of oral care or poor oral care. It is no secret that providing oral health care to long-term/nursing home care residents can be challenging. This is why we need professionals to do it. Most care aides in these facilities try the best that they can, but they are not trained substantially in oral care.

That is where mobile dentistry and teledentistry comes in at. The demand is there! Back in the day, dental hygienist used to travel in rural communities to provide preventative oral care and education to students. But, now the demand is far beyond schools we are needed in nursing homes and longterm care facilities! We are needed to educate caregivers and aides on how to properly administer daily oral cleaning that prevents infection in-between visits. According to the  National Center for Biotechnology Information (Hoben et al., 2016). Among all residents, 5–17 % have dental pain, 32–49 % need periodontal treatment, 66–74 % have gingivitis, and 3.4 % report gum pain or discomfort.