TTC_06_24_20_Vol.16-No.35

June 24, 2020 www.TheTownCommon.com
Page 3
Christina Eckert: Leadership in Action
To the editor:
Growing up in Boxford, it
would be hard not to know Christina.
My entire life, she has been
advocating for public school students
such as myself. Christina
co-founded the Masconomet Education
Foundation. Working with
the foundation, Christina used
her fundraising skills to raise over
$400,000 to fund the construction
of new STEAM labs in the
Masco middle and high schools.
Letter to the editor
I am a member of the graduating
class of 2020 from Masconomet
High School and my
classmates and I have directly
benefited from Christina’s work.
Access to new STEAM labs has
allowed my classmates and I
to explore new interests. These
labs have enabled students to
further their interests in different
fields that they otherwise
would not have the opportunity
to experience without the new
STEAM labs.
Christina has very well thought
out ideas and strategies for improving
schools in our district.
She understands that a good education
is essential to the future of
a student but for the future of this
district. We need a candidate who
has shown that fighting for our
schools is a top priority, which
Christina has demonstrated she is
capable of time and time again.
Luke Chadwick
Boxford
Brighter smiles ...
The Golden Years
By J. Peter St. Clair, DMD
The Golden Years are much
more golden if your teeth are
in good shape. One of the most
difficult areas dentists have to address
are issues concerning aging
patients, specifically those who
require assisted or nursing care.
Whether you are the one making
decisions for someone else,
or you are making your own
decisions, regular dental maintenance
visits are the key to success
with your teeth as you age. Dental
health needs to stay at the top
of the priority list for many reasons;
quality of life and the link
between oral health and systemic
health are two big ones.
It's not uncommon for an older
patient to say, "I don't need to fix
that. How much longer do I really
have to live?" And the response
is usually the same every time, "If
you told me that you knew you
weren't going to be around next
year, I'd say I would agree with
you.....but you've been saying
the same thing for 15 years." You
can't predict the future. What
you can do now is decide how
healthy you want your mouth to
be now to enjoy. It only involves
a choice.
When an elderly patient has
a multitude of dental issues the
following should be considered:
* What is the general health status?
* What is the general prognosis
medically?
* Has the patient ever worn
anything removable in their
mouth?
* What is the minimal amount
of dentistry that can be done that
will not alter the patient's quality
of life?
* What are other treatment options
to maintain or improve the
patient's quality of life?
The general health status of the
patient can play a role in deciding
how to approach a patient's dental
care. People who are medically
compromised but are well controlled
are usually okay to receive
general dental care. If a person is in
good physical and mental shape,
it's difficult to use age as a determining
factor for dental care.
The most important factor that
needs to be considered is quality
of life. Studies have shown that
loss of teeth results in a loss in
quality of life. While some patients
with dentures may say
they can eat anything, many others
would pay anything to have
their teeth back. Masticating
food properly for digestion and
not having plastic in your mouth
to disrupt the flavor of food, are
two great reasons to keep your
teeth. There is no one who could
argue that eating with false teeth
is as enjoyable as eating with real
teeth.
If you have never worn anything
removable in your mouth,
it tends to get more difficult to
adapt to the older you get. Dentures
can be difficult to adjust to.
There are definitely better techniques
and materials than others
that can impact fit and function,
but it's still a piece of plastic in
your mouth. Poorly fitting dentures
can impact a patient's nutritional
intake and can be a serious
issue for an older person.
The best way to avoid having to
deal with major issues as you get
older is to make sure you take care
of your teeth along the journey
of life. If someone you love ends
up in a nursing facility, one of the
most important things you could
do for them is to make sure they
get proper dental care.
Dr. St. Clair maintains a private
dental practice in Rowley
and Newburyport dedicated to
health-centered family dentistry. If
there are certain topics you would
like to see written about or questions
you have please email them to
him at jpstclair@stclairdmd.com.
You can view all previously written
columns at www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com/blog.