Staying young and keeping fit is natural, but aging needs conscious efforts. Our bodies wither as we grow older; the capacity to regenerate and repair reduces. So you take greater care of your body to stay healthy. Things are no different when it comes to dental health. Our teeth, gums, and oral tissues deteriorate with age and use, making them several times more crucial to maintaining a good oral hygiene routine. With years of experience focusing on patient needs, here are some essential tips for maintaining good oral health and aging gracefully.
Dental Health and Aging
What are the most common dental issues related to aging?
- Discolored teeth, with unwanted stains and dull enamel colors that look un-esthetic.
- Attrition and erosion (wear and tear) of teeth with time causing severe sensitivity, teeth mobility, and pain.
- Gradual gum recession, gum thinning, frequent gum bleeds, and infections that ruin tooth and bone support further
- Poor dental and gum health eventually causes tooth migration and mobility.
- Frequent episodes of redness of the tongue, white patches in the mouth, burning mouth sensations, dryness caused by hormonal changes, vitamin deficiencies, poor immunity, and comorbidities.
It is important to note here that you, as a senior member of your family, may not be having any of these issues at all. That’s just perfect and you have to have an on-point oral hygiene routine and visit the dental clinic for seniors regularly.
However, if you feel that some of these oral health issues are bothering you and you have been scrolling the dentist for seniors near me, or looking up dental coverage for seniors, then these tips might help you till you visit the dentist for seniors.
Tips for Maintaining a Healthy Mouth
Here are some pro-tips for oral hygiene mouth care that can make you age in a ‘dentally efficient’ way.
-
Stay Up-to-Date with Your Overall Health
It’s best that you address any health issues and comorbidities to ensure that your mouth stays pro-health. Dental health is inextricably linked to general health, and as people get older, chronic issues like diabetes, deficiencies, and cardiovascular disease (heart problems), can impact dental health. It is in fact a vicious circle. Poor dental health can further worsen matters. With age, you need to manage these health and dental health connections more efficiently and smartly.
-
Regular Dental Check-ups
Oral health care services and regular dental visits help evaluate your oral health status from time to time. Dentists can spot diseases such as cavities, gum disease, and oral cancer early on. This allows for timely management and the prevention of complications. Professional cleanings (scaling and polishing) also help remove plaque and tartar accumulation and reduce the risk of gum disease and tooth decay.
Regular dental checkups can also be clubbed with annual oral screenings for pre-cancerous issues if any. Better to be careful than sorry.
-
Oral Hygiene Mouth Care
Brush twice daily, and correctly.
Correct brushing technique is important. Scrubbing too hard might cause gum recession and tooth abrasions (enamel wear off). Use a soft toothbrush for about a minute and gently roll it around. Supplement brushing with dental floss or a water flosser for thorough cleaning between teeth, near the gums, and in all nooks and crannies, especially if manual flossing is challenging.
-
Address Dry Mouth
This needs attention now. Dry mouth, a prevalent problem as you grow older, happens due to factors like prolonged deficiencies, prescribed drugs, health problems, or poor saliva production as a result of age.
Dry mouth must be addressed immediately to avoid its repercussions like tooth decay & oral infections. Show the dentist, get your health checkup done, drink plenty of water, use saliva substitutes, and avoid alcohol and tobacco to rectify the dry mouth symptoms.
-
Store all Dental Records and Insurance Details
As you get older, try to assimilate your health records, dental records, and denture insurance for seniors information into one place, digitally or physically, to better manage dental care. That way, you have quick access to this info, promote smooth communication with the dentist, and hasten the treatment when needed.
The Dentist in Waterdown can Help you Stay Healthy
How healthily you age defines your quality of life moving forward. Having the right knowledge about dental care for seniors is one way to keep your oral health in great shape. Dental health care is done best with regular dental visits, oral screenings, good oral routines, eating and drinking right, and also fixing overall health issues. Feel free to reach out to your family dentist in Waterdown to help you in this journey better.
Interesting Related Article: “Tips for Healthy Teeth and Gums“