I went to Meals on Wheels, Friday Sept. 5th and gave my first presentation to everyone there. I talked about dry mouth, importance of good oral hygiene, and touched on denture care. Dry Mouth is effecting everyone who takes medications, especially the over 70 age group.  Saliva is our natural way we cleanse our teeth and when the action stops it gets as dry as the grand canyon. Plaque gets sticky and eats away at the gum line, causing root caries. In the older generations, all it takes is the plaque to eat away at two or three crowns and you are looking at a $3000 dollar dental bill. When folks are on a fixed income, this becomes serious and some people who have had there teeth their whole life start to lose them fast. It is really sad to watch.

It was a great afternoon. I was able to answer questions after the presentation. Toothbrushes were donated by Dr. Kroll & Dr. Darcie at Alta Mesa Family Dentistry in Monterey. Dr. Inge Hardy, DDS is also a fantastic addition to the practice. I am the Dental Hygienist at this office. GUM donated proxybrushes (teeth savers).  I will try to get this information out to more senior care centers as I build the non-profit.