This intriguing statement recently appeared on the PBS newsletter for older Americans called Next Avenue.
(I recommend you subscribe to Next Avenue to better understand your aging community — it is free.)
The article reported there are two different groups of Boomers. The Oldsters (those born between 1946 and 1954) and the Youngsters (born between 1955 and 1964). Each has much different life experience, perspectives and values than the other.
This makes sense and is pertinent to how we better handle our Boomer patients.
But the statement which caught my eye in this article, was this:
The transition from being in your 50s to being in your 60s is about as radical as any I’ve experienced, including when I entered and left my teen years. Chances are, like me, when you get into your 60s, you’ll find yourself facing many issues you feel totally unprepared for.
From our narrow perspective on oral health, the 60s is when you have no or limited dental insurance, when you start learning about root canals, implants and replacement crowns, when you take 3 or more prescription drugs per day and get a dry mouth, when you go to the doctor more often than the dentist.
Indeed, in terms of dental care, being 60 is certainly not like being 50.
Half of patients attending many Canadian dental practices are now over age 50. And increasingly, these patients are Oldster Boomers. So we must prepare ourselves for this radical change and adjust our services accordingly.
By: Ross Perry
SOURCED: Partners In Prevention – http://partnersinprevention.ca/why-60-is-not-the-new-50/
