There is a famous quote by Henny Youngman in which he’s says "If I knew I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself. This is reinforced within my periodontal practice as I did a chronology search of my practice. Low and behold, I discovered that I have 165 currently active patients who are 80-85 years old. In addition, there are 88 patients between the ages of 85-90. And finally, and most surprisingly, there are 35 patients between the ages of 90-100; with our oldest patient topping out at 100 years of age. Interestingly enough, there are a number of patients in their 90’s who are employed on a full-time basis.
These wonderful facts have made it possible for me to know some of my patients for decades and have the privilege of watching them enter their golden years and still be able to eat well and smile comfortably.
One of the dental aspects related to these numbers is how many people among this list have many if not all of their teeth, or have had lost teeth replaced with dental implants. In addition, I have observed that patients who continue throughout their lifetime to take good care of their mouths have a much higher likelihood of keeping their teeth into their 8th, 9th and 10th decade.
Finally, since it seems that long life is becoming the standard rather than the unusual, it behooves us all, particularly those who are younger, to make the commitment to good oral health since there is a very good likelihood in the 21st century that many of the youngsters under 80 will someday be centenarians. That being a fact, it is more important than ever to realize that having an intact healthy mouth has a major impact on your mental and physical health. The ability to eat all types of food and enjoy the confidence of speaking with your own teeth is immeasurable.
Dr. Victor S. Sternberg
These wonderful facts have made it possible for me to know some of my patients for decades and have the privilege of watching them enter their golden years and still be able to eat well and smile comfortably.
One of the dental aspects related to these numbers is how many people among this list have many if not all of their teeth, or have had lost teeth replaced with dental implants. In addition, I have observed that patients who continue throughout their lifetime to take good care of their mouths have a much higher likelihood of keeping their teeth into their 8th, 9th and 10th decade.
Finally, since it seems that long life is becoming the standard rather than the unusual, it behooves us all, particularly those who are younger, to make the commitment to good oral health since there is a very good likelihood in the 21st century that many of the youngsters under 80 will someday be centenarians. That being a fact, it is more important than ever to realize that having an intact healthy mouth has a major impact on your mental and physical health. The ability to eat all types of food and enjoy the confidence of speaking with your own teeth is immeasurable.
Dr. Victor S. Sternberg
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