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Senior Expo draws many to connect

Local services detailed

Dr. Carla Skaates of Superior Dental Care, front, speaks about caring for teeth as a person ages at the Senior Citizens Expo. Skaates and Dr. Anja Hoffstrom, also of Superior Dental Care, answered questions and shared a variety of tips and techniques with the audience. (Journal photo by Cecilia Brown)

MARQUETTE — There was much to see and hear about at Tuesday’s Senior Citizens Expo at the Holiday Inn.

The annual event, which is sponsored by The Mining Journal, gives seniors an opportunity to connect with those who provide services to them in the community.

Over 100 people attended Tuesday’s event, which featured many presentations, a free lunch, as well as drawings for a variety of raffle prizes donated by local businesses.

Attendees had an opportunity to learn and ask questions about everything from home health care and end-of-life considerations, to caring for the aging eye.

The expo kicked off at 9 a.m. with a presentation by Louise Wilcox and Linda Carlson of Lake Superior Life Care & Hospice entitled “Transitions and Hospice As We Age,” which gave the audience a chance to hear about the programs offered, and ask questions about the services.

Many handouts were available to those who attended the gathering. (Journal photo by Cecilia Brown)

Following this presentation, Dr. Carla Skaates and Dr. Anja Hoffstrom of Superior Dental Care of Marquette addressed the challenges of caring for teeth as people age, as well as tips, tools and techniques to assist seniors with dental care.

“We are not only living longer, but we are keeping our teeth longer, which is a wonderful, wonderful thing, a wonderful issue to have,” Hoffstrom said. “But with that comes issues that we’re finding with our teeth.”

These issues, Hoffstrom said, include a lifetime of wear and tear on teeth, receding gums and gum disease, as well as complications of dry mouth.

“Dry mouth can be very debilitating, it can be painful, it can cause many problems,” she said. ” It can cause problems with eating, chewing your food, tasting your food and it can also put you at a greater risk for getting cavities on your teeth.”

For dry mouth, Hoffstrom and Skaates recommended keeping hydrated, as well as prescription-strength fluoride.

Because fluoride can harden the tooth’s surface and make it more resistant to cavities, they said, it is a highly recommended preventative tool for those with dry mouth and/or many cavities.

They also spoke about the use of oral irrigators, such as water picks and the ShowerBreeze. These water-based methods for cleaning teeth can be as effective as dental floss when used properly, and don’t require the strength and dexterity needed for the use of dental floss, they said.

Another method that can assist those with limited motion is an electric toothbrush, they said.

“For individuals that do have a loss of dexterity, an electric toothbrush is key to helping clean the teeth,”Hoffstrom said.“Because it can do a lot of the work for the individual and it can provide a really good clean. And it has a bigger handle, so it’s easier to hold.”

For those who are having trouble with the fit of their dentures, Skaates offered recommendations.

“First of all, they should have the fit of their dentures evaluated by a dentist, because sometimes a denture needs to be adjusted because it’s rubbing too hard on the gums,” Skaates said. “Sometimes it can be realigned to make it fit the gum surface better. Sometimes it’s a bite issue that’s destabilizing it. Sometimes you just need to have a new denture made. So there are things that can be done in some cases to greatly improve the fit of the denture.”

Skaates emphasized that it’s still important to see a dentist annually, even if a person’s teeth have been replaced by dentures or dental implants, as a dental exam is a first line screening for oral cancer and other serious issues.

She said their office is currently accepting new patients and emphasized that they consider each individual’s health and options individually.

“When somebody comes in my office, we try to give them a range of options for their budget and their situation,” Skaates said, noting that they can also help a person “prioritize where to start” with dental work.

Other presentations offered at the expo included:

Cathy Rupreccht of UP Health Systems Rehab Services presented “Pain, Who Knew?” following Skaates and Hoffstrom. Julie Kelly, executive director at Mill Creek Assisted Living, gave a presentation on life at Mill Creek and Teal Lake. Kaitlynn McDonald, patient care representative for UP Health System Home Care & Hospice, presented on the benefits of home health care from 11 to 11:30 a.m.

A presentation on funeral pre-planning was given by Fassbender Swanson Funeral Homes Director and Owner Jeremy Hansen from 12:30 to 1 p.m. Medical adherence, cancer screenings and depression in older adults were addressed in a presentation by Ashley Richards of UP Health Plan from 1 to 1:30 p.m. Maureen Jensen of Jensen Case Management shared her knowledge on aging life care from 1:30 to 2 p.m. The final presentation of the day was delivered by Dr. John G. Kublin of Eye Associates of Marquette, who spoke about the aging eye from 2 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Overall, organizers said the expo was a success, drawing over 100 people and collecting 110 pounds of donated canned and dry goods from attendees. The goods will be donated to St. Vincent de Paul’s food bank, organizers said.

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