Dentist for seniors in Scarborough

Dental care built around older adults

Teeth and gums change with age, and so do the things that make a dental visit easy or hard. Medications dry the mouth, arthritis makes brushing awkward, old fillings and crowns wear out, gums recede, and a denture that fitted well ten years ago may no longer be comfortable. At the same time, a sore tooth or a loose denture can affect eating, sleep, speech and confidence. Geriatric dental care simply means general dentistry planned around these realities.

Dr. Samar Fadavi has practised since 2005 and has cared for many older patients and their families on the Danforth. Our approach is unhurried. We take time to review your health history, we explain every option in plain words, and we never rush you into a decision. Families are welcome to come into the room, and we are glad to speak with a caregiver or adult child, with your permission.

Why seniors choose our office

• Wheelchair-accessible office at Terrace on Danforth, with parking behind the building
• Longer appointments when you need them, and breaks during treatment
• Canadian Dental Care Plan patients welcome, with direct billing to the plan and to most insurers
• Care in English, French and Farsi, and communication in American Sign Language
• Same-day emergency and walk-in slots for pain, swelling or a broken denture
• Daytime, evening and Saturday hours, so a family member can come along

The Canadian Dental Care Plan for seniors

Many older adults lost dental coverage when they retired. The federal Canadian Dental Care Plan now helps eligible seniors without other dental insurance pay for a wide range of care, including check-ups, cleanings, fillings, extractions, root canal treatment and dentures. We accept CDCP patients and bill the plan directly. Some treatments need approval from the plan before they start, and we send that request for you. Our CDCP page explains who qualifies, what is covered and what to bring.

Common dental problems after 60

Dry mouth from medications

Hundreds of common medications, including some for blood pressure, depression, allergies, bladder control and pain, reduce saliva. Saliva protects teeth, so a dry mouth raises the risk of decay, especially along the gum line and around old fillings. It can also make dentures rub. We check for dry mouth at every visit and suggest practical steps: sipping water through the day, sugarless gum or lozenges, a fluoride toothpaste or varnish, and avoiding sugary drinks at bedtime. Never stop or change a medication on your own; if dry mouth is severe, we can write to your doctor.

Root decay and receding gums

As gums recede, the root surfaces of teeth are exposed. Roots are softer than enamel and decay more easily. Regular check-ups catch these cavities while they are small. Fluoride treatments and careful cleaning at home help prevent them.

Gum disease

Gum disease often progresses quietly, without pain, until teeth become loose. Bleeding when brushing, bad breath, receding gums and teeth that seem to move are warning signs. Gum disease is also linked with diabetes and other health conditions, so keeping it under control matters for your overall health. We measure the gums at check-ups and treat gum disease with deep cleaning and a maintenance plan. See check-ups and cleanings.

Worn and broken teeth, old fillings and crowns

Decades of chewing wear teeth down, and large old fillings can crack the tooth around them. We can repair a broken tooth with a filling, protect it with a crown, or save an infected tooth with root canal treatment. We always explain the simpler and the more involved options so you can choose what makes sense for you.

Missing teeth

Missing back teeth make chewing harder and can push the remaining teeth out of position. Replacement options include a partial or complete denture, a fixed bridge, or dental implants, which can also be used to hold a denture firmly in place. The right choice depends on your health, your bone, your budget and how you feel about each option. We go through them honestly, including when leaving a gap is reasonable.

Oral cancer

The risk of oral cancer rises with age, particularly for people who have smoked or drink alcohol regularly. Every examination includes a check of the tongue, cheeks, floor of the mouth, palate and lips. Tell us about any sore that has not healed in two weeks, a lump, or a red or white patch.

Dentures: new dentures, relines and repairs

Many of our older patients wear complete or partial dentures. Gums and bone change shape over time, so a denture that once fitted well can become loose, rub, or make it hard to eat. We offer:

• New complete and partial dentures, made over several short visits
• Relines, which refit the inside of your denture to your gums as they are now
• Repairs for cracked dentures or broken teeth on a denture
• Adjustments for sore spots
• Implant-supported options for a denture that stays firmly in place

Even if you have no natural teeth, a yearly examination is worthwhile. We check the gums, the fit of the denture and the soft tissues for anything unusual.

Health conditions and medications we plan around

Older patients often have several health conditions and take several medications. They rarely prevent dental care, but they change how we plan it. Please tell us about:

• Heart conditions, including heart valve replacements, a history of heart infection and stents
• Blood thinners such as warfarin, apixaban, rivaroxaban or daily aspirin
• Diabetes, and how well your blood sugar is controlled
• Joint replacements and any instructions from your surgeon
• Osteoporosis medications, especially injections or tablets taken for bone strength, which matter before extractions
• Cancer treatment, past or current, including radiation to the head and neck
• Memory changes or dementia, so we can plan short, calm visits and involve a caregiver

Bring a current medication list to every visit. When it is needed, we speak with your physician before treatment. Some people with certain heart conditions are advised to take antibiotics before some dental procedures; we follow current guidance and your doctor’s advice, rather than a one-size-fits-all rule.

Making the visit comfortable

• Morning or early afternoon appointments for patients who tire later in the day
• A chair that is easy to get in and out of, and help with transfers when needed
• Breaks during longer treatment, and pillows for neck or back comfort
• Clear explanations in a quiet room, written instructions to take home, and large-print forms on request
• Gentle care for anxious patients; see care for nervous patients

For caregivers and adult children

Many older patients are brought to us by a son, daughter, spouse or personal support worker. With the patient’s permission, we are glad to include you in the conversation, explain the treatment plan and show you how to help with daily care at home. A few tips that help:

1. Use a soft toothbrush with a wide handle, or an electric toothbrush, if hands are stiff.
2. Brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, and clean between the teeth with soft picks or a water flosser if floss is hard.
3. Remove dentures at night, clean them with a denture brush and keep them in water or a soaking solution.
4. Watch for signs of pain: refusing food, chewing on one side, touching the face or new confusion can all point to a dental problem in someone who cannot say it clearly.
5. Keep regular check-ups, even for patients with dentures or few teeth.

Oral health and overall health in later life

The mouth is part of the body, and in older adults the link is easy to see. Painful or missing teeth lead people to avoid fresh fruit, vegetables and meat, which can affect nutrition and weight. Gum disease and diabetes affect each other, so treating the gums can be part of managing blood sugar. In frail adults, bacteria from the mouth can be breathed into the lungs, which is one reason daily mouth care matters so much in hospitals and care homes. A sore mouth can also cause poor sleep, irritability or confusion in someone who cannot easily say what is wrong.

None of this means every older patient needs extensive treatment. It means that a comfortable, clean mouth that lets you chew and speak well is worth looking after, and that small problems are easier to fix early.

After a hospital stay, a fall or a new diagnosis

A hospital stay, a stroke, a fall or a new diagnosis often changes daily routines, and mouth care is one of the first things to slip. If you or a parent has been through a change like this, book a check-up once things have settled. Bring the new medication list and any discharge papers. We look for new cavities, sore spots from a denture that no longer fits, and dryness from new medications, and we adjust the home care plan to what is realistic now. If the person now uses a walker or wheelchair, tell us when you call so we can plan the visit.

What affects the cost of dental care for seniors

We do not post costs online, because each person’s needs and coverage are different. What you pay depends on the treatment you choose, the number of visits, whether a laboratory makes part of it (as with dentures and crowns), and how much your coverage pays. For CDCP members, it also depends on whether a co-payment applies and whether the treatment needs approval from the plan first. Before any treatment, we explain the options, tell you what your coverage is likely to pay, and give you a written estimate for anything it does not. You decide which option suits you.

Questions to ask at a seniors’ dental visit

• Which problems are urgent, and which can safely wait?
• Is there a simpler option, and what are its trade-offs?
• Will any of my medications or health conditions change the plan?
• What does my coverage or the CDCP pay, and does anything need approval first?
• How can my family help with care at home?

We welcome these questions and answer them in plain words, as many times as you need.

How often should seniors see the dentist?

Most older adults do well with a check-up and cleaning every six months. Patients with gum disease, dry mouth or a history of frequent cavities may benefit from more frequent cleanings. Patients with complete dentures should still have a yearly examination. We set the interval with you based on your mouth and your health, not a fixed rule.

Keeping natural teeth for life

More people now keep some or all of their natural teeth into their eighties and nineties. That is good news, but it means older mouths often hold a mix of natural teeth, old fillings, crowns, bridges, implants and partial dentures, each needing its own kind of care. Natural teeth next to a partial denture collect plaque where the clasps rest. Crowns and bridges can develop decay at the edges, where the tooth meets the restoration. Implants need the gum around them kept clean, just like natural teeth.

At each check-up we look at every part of this mix, not just the teeth that hurt. We show you, or the person who helps you, where plaque is collecting and which brushes or picks reach those spots most easily. The aim is simple: keep what you have comfortable and working for as long as possible, and plan replacements calmly rather than in an emergency.

Your first visit with us

1. Call (647) 350-4500 and let us know about mobility needs, hearing or vision needs, and whether a family member will come.
2. Bring your medication list, your insurance or CDCP member card, and your dentures, glasses and hearing aids.
3. We review your health history, examine your teeth, gums, dentures and soft tissues, and take X-rays only where they help.
4. We explain what we found, what is urgent and what can wait, and what your coverage is likely to pay.
5. You leave with a written plan and a written estimate for anything not covered.

Read more on our new patients page.

Seniors we see from across East Toronto

Our office at 3520 Danforth Avenue, Unit 107, sits near Danforth Avenue and Warden Avenue. Older patients come to us from Oakridge, Crescent Town, Clairlea, Birchcliff, Cliffside, the Golden Mile area and East York. Parking is behind the building, the office is wheelchair accessible, and the TTC stops on Danforth Avenue are a short walk away. See contact and directions.

Related services for older adults

Seniors most often book check-ups and cleanings, dentures and implants, crowns and bridges, root canal therapy, extractions and same-day emergency care.