Take Care of Teeth for Elderly – Healthy teeth are everyone’s dream, including the elderly (elderly). At the age of 60 years, the condition of the body is certainly not as strong as before, especially in the teeth. Because of this concern, it is proper for the elderly to take care of their teeth in the right and appropriate way.
Teeth can fall out more easily as you get older if your parents smoked and didn’t keep your teeth clean. However, there are several other causes that in fact can also increase the risk of the elderly experiencing tooth loss.
Routine is the key to teeth and dental flossing is important to maintain oral health, especially for the elderly. In the elderly, plaque can build up quickly on the teeth, especially if your parents did not maintain good oral hygiene. Not only can this increase the risk of tooth decay, but it can also lead to gum disease which in turn can cause the elderly teeth to easily fall out.
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The risk of experiencing dental health problems in the elderly
When entering old age, one of the common elderly diseases that arise is dental and oral health problems. Some of the dental and oral health conditions that commonly occur in the elderly are:
- Cavity.
- Gum problems.
- Loose teeth.
- Oral cancer.
- However, of the many problems that may arise, cavities are indeed one of the most common. It is true, the risk of experiencing this condition increases with age.
Usually, the elderly experience cavities due to dry mouth. But make no mistake, dry mouth is not part of the aging process. This condition often occurs in the elderly because of the side effects of treatment.
Yes, there are certain types of treatment for certain conditions that can cause dry mouth. For example asthma, high blood pressure (hypertension), high cholesterol, anxiety disorders, depression, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s.
Therefore, in order to avoid various health problems in the elderly, dentists need to know the type of medicine you are using. That way, your doctor can help recommend ways to relieve the side effects of dry mouth and prevent cavities in older people’s teeth. You should know about several tips to take care of teeth for elderly incase you have someone elderly in your family.
Tips to Take Care of Teeth for Elderly
1. Restrict sweet and starch-containing foods
Elderly nurses can help prevent dental and oral disorders in the elderly by reducing or limiting sugary or starchy foods and drinks. Both are foods and drinks that can damage teeth, regardless of your age, both children and when you enter old age.
Sugar creates acid that can erode your teeth. While foods containing starch stick to the teeth and form plaque, which makes bacteria accumulate on the teeth.
In addition, avoid foods or drinks that contain artificial sweeteners such as aspartame. Because, these artificial sweeteners make you want to consume more sugar. Not to mention, consuming it can increase weight, increase the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.
2. Keep a healthy diet
A healthy diet for the elderly will help take care of the teeth and mouth of the elderly. Be sure to add fermented foods to your diet to help balance the bacteria that live in your mouth.
Some types of fermented foods such as cheese, butter, kefir, and yogurt. You can also add other fermented foods such as kimchi, kombucha, or miso to your daily menu.
In addition, the consumption of foods that can help boost the immune system of the elderly. This will help protect you from infections and diseases of the mouth, as you get older.
Some foods that can boost immunity are garlic, coconut oil, green vegetables, spirulina, papaya, kiwi, and oranges.
3. Follow the dentist’s advice
If the elderly have had dental implants or fillings, this needs appropriate treatment to keep getting healthy teeth in old age. Do the treatment recommended by the doctor to maintain the repair of your teeth.
If your elderly wear dentures, be sure to keep them clean and follow the dentist’s special care guidelines. Just like natural teeth, dentures can last a long time if you take good care of them.
4. Go to the dentist regularly
In addition to doing dental care at home, you still have to regularly check your dentist’s teeth. The reason is, visiting the dentist regularly can help you detect dental problems that may occur. This will make it easier for the doctor to treat the dental problem immediately.
The problem is, if parents delay treatment of problematic teeth, the damage that occurs can be permanent. This means that the condition is too severe to be treated by a doctor.
When you go to the dental clinic, the doctor will examine and help clean it thoroughly. In fact, the doctor will carry out the treatment to a point that you cannot reach when cleaning it yourself. This will make the teeth, gums, and mouth of the elderly healthier.
5. Use dental floss
Brushing and flossing your teeth every day is very important to maintain oral health so that your teeth do not have problems when you reach old age. This is because plaque can build up quickly on the teeth of the elderly, especially if oral hygiene is neglected, causing tooth decay and gum disease.
Conclusion
In order to avoid dental and oral problems, the elderly who use dentures are also recommended to brush and rinse their teeth before and after soaking them in a special cleaning liquid.
Due to the decline in the function of the body’s organs, of course, dental and oral health when you reach old age need attention. Apply the tips on caring for the teeth for the elderly above so that your teeth are healthy and strong. One of the most important things, undergo regular checkups to the dentist and keep yourself from eating foods that are at risk of damaging your teeth.