Posted by : Alison Heath in (Dental care)
Basic Dental Care For Senior Citizens
Tagged Under : Dental care, elderly care, family, Family and Elderly Care, Health and Medicine, health and wellness, health care, home, home and family, Medical Treatments, medicine, Senior Care, Senior Health, wellness
Dental care becomes more important as people get older. Though it is normal to experience more dental problems as one gets older, there are guidelines one can follow to prevent some of the problems. Basically, changes take place in your mouth as you age — gums soften and the muscles in your mouth become weak. Since saliva production will decrease as well, chewing of food will become increasingly difficult as well.
Due to the lower level of saliva in the mouth, tooth decay is also more likely. It’s more difficult to use fillings to restore teeth because the decay often occurs near the gum line. Since with age the pulp of the teeth becomes smaller, and not much fluid reaches the teeth, the teeth have a tendency to become brittle and break more easily. Or, they can chip more easily.
Another dental problem many aging people fight often is periodontal disease. Periodontal disease can cause excessive bleeding of the gums even during normal brushing. Teeth can easily fall if food gets trapped between teeth and gums. If you suspect periodontal disease, you should seek treatment immediately to avoid tooth loss.
You can greatly improve your overall dental hygiene by following these easy steps:
When brushing, you should always use a medium soft brush and paste for best results. If you are unable to hold the brush because of arthritis problems, a rubber strap can save the day by helping you maintain a better grip. Take care of brushing and flossing your teeth, especially after meals. Flossing every day gets rid of debris that toothbrushes can’t reach and is essential to good dental hygiene.
Take extra care when rinsing, to remove all food particles that might remain in the mouth because of a lower amount of saliva being produced. Rinsing helps you keep your mouth free of damaging particles. Since some mouth washes are irritating to the gums, dilute it if necessary.
If brushing is not possible, try to at least use some gauze wipes to remove as much debris as possible from teeth and gums.
Electric tooth brushes and irrigators – Electric tooth brushes are a boon to senior citizens. They are not hard to handle, and they can provide a great level of dental cleanliness. The irrigators are great for removing particles that might have escaped the toothbrush, but they can also cause problems if the particles are instead pushed into pockets in the gums.
Glycerine – A flavored lubricant that can stop irritation of the gums. It also appears to stimulate the production of saliva.
A stronger routine of dental hygiene can play a major role in the prevention of tooth decay and gum disease. If you wear dentures, your dentist can talk to you about steps you need to take for good dental hygiene. Just as it can happen with real teeth, dentures that aren’t properly cleaned can lead to problems with your gums.
Do some research to determine which routine of dental hygiene is right for you and for your needs as you age. Your dentist can also help you develop a plan.
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