Have you ever paid attention to your grandparents’ teeth and smile? Do they look good? Do your grandparents take care of their oral hygiene? Unfortunately, most elderly ignore their oral hygiene. But it is wrong. Dental health is important at every age, and it gets more serious as we get older. With passing age, we are more prone to cavities and losing teeth. Bad and ugly teeth will lead to an ugly smile. According to an oral hygienist in Oakville, the first thing that catches our eye in a person is her/his smile. With passing age, our teeth strength decreases, and our teeth may lose their health, and we may no longer have a beautiful smile. The solution to prevent dental problems is to increase dental and oral health care.
Common Dental Problems for Elderly People
While several challenges arise with passing age, it is important not to let these challenges disappoint you. Oral hygiene will become more difficult with age, but more effort is needed to understand the mouth and care needed to prevent unpleasant and painful diseases.
Here are some tips an elderly can do to take care of oral health.
Talk with your grandparents and explain to them that they should stop smoking cigarettes and chewing tobacco. Smoking can cause mouth and throat cancers. Tobacco, especially products that contain sugar, can even lead to tooth decay and gum disease. Talk to your grandparents’ oral hygienist about ways to quit smoking.
Ask your grandparents to go to a dentist and oral hygienist’s office regularly. The dentist and oral hygienist should check for different dental conditions at each visit, from tooth decay to oral cancer.
Ask your grandparents to brush and floss regularly. Make sure they brush and floss fluoride toothpaste for at least two minutes a day. Remember that they also need to floss at least once a day.
Ask your grandparents to use an antibacterial mouthwash. It should be noted that when antibacterial mouthwash is used with a toothbrush and floss, it can reduce plaque buildup.
If your grandparents are experiencing dry mouth, talk to their oral hygienist as soon as you can. If this dry mouth is due to medicine’s side effects and if it is possible to use another medicine that does not cause side effects, do so. If they are taking a medicine that causes problems, be sure that they drink plenty of water, chew sugar-free gum, and avoid alcohol, as this can increase their chances of dehydration.
Finally, Remember That:
Older people, like any other person, need to brush and floss their teeth regularly. But the point is that the toothpaste you use should contain fluoride to prevent tooth decay or gum disease. Your toothbrush must not be too hard as it can damage your tooth enamel. The soft or medium toothbrush is suitable for elderly people. you should change your toothbrush when it looks out of shape.
Some elderly people can’t properly and entirely brush their teeth and may need your assistant. Especially when their movement is restricted, electric toothbrushes are useful.