Oral Health – Impacts your overall health

 

As we age every aspect of our health faces a major change so does our oral health. Seniors who forget to take care of oral hygiene will suffer from whole body health issue since they are interconnected. Your loved ones will need proper attention in terms of dental health so that their overall health is not put at stake.

Good dental hygiene and oral care habits are important at any age, but seniors might face certain issues when it comes to oral health. That’s why oral care is important among the other Chronic Disease Management (CDM) in elderly adults.

PROBLEMS FACED BY OLDER ADULTS WITH LESS ORAL HYGIENE:

·        Dry mouth: As a process of aging regular medications, chronic conditions, less fluid intake can increase your risk for dry mouth (reduction of saliva in the mouth) which tends to result in cavity or decay. It will also make it hard to eat, swallow or talk.

 ·        Root decay: It is very common in the elderly adults as the tooth root exposed as your gum recede, leading to increased rate of decay as one age.

 ·        Diabetes: It is proven that when gum disease like periodontitis are left untreated; it hinders the body’s ability to use insulin which leads to diabetes. Thus dental health, especially taking care of gum diseases at the earliest will prevent diabetes in seniors.

 ·        Uneven jaw bone: When teeth are lost in older adults the rest of the teeth tends to shift into open spaces that create uneven jaw line which in turn affects the appearance and may cause digestive issues. Thus using dentures at the earliest will prevent the complications.

 ·        Attrition: Many years of chewing and grinding leads to loss in enamel of the teeth that can increase the risk of cavities and causes sensitivity in the teeth.

 ·        Heart diseases: Recent researches have proved that gum illness can lead to heart disease. Maintaining oral hygiene is important to prevent heart attack, stroke and other heart disease conditions. And it is also proved that periodontology also leads to heart ailments.                     

 ·        Pneumonia: It’s proven that in older adults poor oral hygiene leads to pneumonia. By breathing the bacterial droplets through mouth leads to serious conditions that can be prevented by maintaining dental health carefully.

 ·        Denture induced stomatitis: Sometimes poorly fit dentures leads to inflammation of underlying tissue, which makes the dentures uncomfortable for the seniors causing irritation or redness. This can also happen due to bad dental hygiene or buildup of fungus named Candida albicans.

 ·        Darkened teeth: Part of aging always comes with change in the dentin or the bone like tissue under the enamel due to beverages or foods we eat, that causes darkening of the enamel or yellow dentin show through that can lead to darkened teeth.

 ·        Digestive issues: Dental problems like poor oral hygiene, missing teeth, misalignment often leads to digestive issues down the line. Also conditions like mouth ulcer (aphthous stomatitis) often cause irritation or inflammation in the digestive tract. Thus the bowl movements are affected due to less oral hygiene.

HOW TO PREVENT AND IMPROVE SENIOR ORAL CARE:

It’s not always the age that has an adverse effect on oral health but the improper care given as one age leads to ailments. Also usage of drugs leads to oral health problems or cognitive health conditions. Thus maintaining personal hygiene for seniors is inevitable. Few tips with which you can improve oral hygiene:

Ø Proper Dental visits: It’s important that you visit your dentist on a regular basis and have a healthy oral routine, even if you’re a denture wearer.

Ø Use anti-bacterial mouth wash: Along with proper brushing and flossing, an antibacterial mouthwash can reduce the buildup of plaque.

Ø Increase fluoridation: Fluoride based toothpaste or floss incorporation in oral care is a must not only for children but also for elderly as this can reduce the risk of cavity.

Ø Avoid tobacco: Intake of tobacco in any form leads to mouth and throat cancer and also heart related ailments.

Ø Keep a check on Sugar intake: This will not only prevent oral health but also diabetes. Measures such as brushing shortly after snacking and also intake of fruits for constipation issues does wonders for elderly.

Ø Hydration: To reduce the effects of medication that leads to dry mouth, you can consult your doctor for alternatives. Despite that you should increase your intake of water, try chewing sugar free gums and definitely avoid alcohol intake that gradually dehydrates your body.

Ø Denture tips for seniors: Dentures can make life so much easier for elders, but proper care should be taken to maintain the dentures and consulting your dentist on regular basis is a must.

Maintaining a personal hygiene is a must to ensure good health especially at an old age. Following above tips is a tough job for seniors but getting the right assistance from Healthabove60 makes it easy and simple. They organize regular home visits by experienced dentists and let them a keep a check on your dental care and requirements.