With the changes that come with age, it's often necessary, to adopt new care to preserve health and ensure the quality of life in our later years. At the same time, some of the healthy habits we've become accustomed to since childhood must continue like oral hygiene.
Healthy teeth are more important than you might realize. Did you know that your oral health offers clues about your overall health — or that problems in your mouth can affect the rest of your body? Protect yourself by learning more about the connection between your oral health and overall health.
Your mouth is the entry point to your digestive and respiratory tracts. Maintaining tooth care is beneficial not only for oral health but also proper chewing, which is critical to ensuring adequate food digestion and nutrient absorption.
A beautiful & healthy smile is essential for well-being & self-esteem.
Therefore, oral health care is as important in old age as in any other phase of life and requires attention to some particularities of aging. Always have the regular monitoring of a dental professional and keep up on your daily care.
Factors That Require Extra Attention
Caries: Caries are among the most common chronic diseases among people over 60.
Dry Mouth: Medications or health disorders can reduce the production of saliva, can cause dry mouth, and can lead to bad breath and discomfort in the use of a prosthesis or dental caries.
Sensitivity: It is common for teeth to become more sensitive with age.
Gingivitis: A condition that affects people of all ages, but may become recurrent after age 40 and aggravated by factors such as poor diet, smoking, systemic diseases, and poor oral hygiene.
Dental prosthesis: The use of the prosthesis as an alternative in the absence of natural teeth helps in proper chewing and speech, being essential to ensure a good adaptation and specific hygiene care.
Critical Care For Oral Hygiene
Teeth hygiene should be done after meals using an appropriately sized toothbrush with soft bristles and fluoride toothpaste.
Do not forget the tongue! You can clean it with your toothbrush, with careful movements, starting from the inside to the tip of the tongue.
Complement oral hygiene by flossing between all teeth.Maintaining a healthy diet also helps ensure oral health.
Drink plenty of water to help with any discomfort with saliva reduction.
Watch for possible mouth injuries by regularly checking for changes in the lips, cheeks, gums, roof of the mouth, throat, or tongue.
If you use a dental prosthesis, strictly follow your dentist's instructions to clean it properly.
Be sure to ask for help if you have difficulty performing oral hygiene and also inquire whenever you have questions.
If you're assisting an elderly person with their daily activities, help raise their awareness of the importance of oral hygiene, or directly support them in these activities.
See a dentist regularly.