Getting old in the tooth?  What should we be thinking about our teeth as we age?  The baby boomer generation encountered an epidemic of tooth decay in their younger years.  Fortunately at the time, thinking around dental treatment had changed and many baby boomers kept all or most of their teeth, albeit with quite a few large dental fillings.  Remember, eating may be one of the great pleasures that we have into our later years so there is a lot to be said for keeping your teeth to the end.  Furthermore an improved ability to chew has been correlated with better general health outcomes as we age.  Heavily filled teeth tend to need a lot of maintenance.  This can be reduced a great deal with ‘preventative crowning’.  This is to say that it is better to place a strong technician made crown onto a heavily filled tooth before it breaks rather than after it breaks.  Crowns dramatically reduce the number of visits to the dentist are therefore much more cost effective than constant repairs or the costs of replacing teeth if they are lost (for example a single implant replacement costs between $4000 to $6000).   Take advantage of Dental on Metro’s free consultation to anyone considering crown or bridge work.  Discount fees are available.