Dental care in the elderly

Brush your teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, floss with daily floss, routine dental check-ups to check and clean your teeth. It is a common necessity to keep teeth healthy for the elderly.

Common diseases in old age such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer . also affect teeth. Of course, if you keep your teeth well, good oral hygiene, you will keep your teeth longer. However, for the elderly, despite brushing their teeth and flossing with a fine floss, you can still see that your mouth has become drier, as your gum has shrunk down.

Your teeth, though well cared for, can still be slightly yellow, brittle and fragile. Many elderly people can hold their teeth for the rest of their lives. However, because saliva becomes less difficult to wash away bacteria, teeth and gums become susceptible to decay and infection. If you can't keep your teeth, you should use replacement dentures to be able to eat well.

Many people with dry mouth (xerostomia), which can lead to tooth decay, infection . Dry mouth can also make it difficult to talk, swallow, hard to eat . Oral cancer can also occur in the elderly, so check up at the dentist periodically to be able to detect it early.

Tooth decay, tooth root inflammation is very common in older people. Sensitivity also makes the problem more serious. With age, shrinking gums reveal the root of teeth without enamel protection. These areas of teeth can be very sensitive, easy to hurt when you eat food or drinks that are too hot or too cold, or too sour or too sweet.

If you have this condition often, you can use the toothpaste "anti-sensitivity toothpaste" or ask your dentist for a topical applicator. If it still doesn't work, you have to go to the dentist because it can be a sign of a more serious problem - a deep hole or some cracks in your teeth.

Common diseases in old age such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer . also affect teeth . So you need to let dentists know what diseases you are suffering from so they can guide you more accurately.

Older people often need dentures. In this case, you need to take care of them specifically. Should follow the instructions of the physician. Persons with long term dentures should be checked annually.

Gum disease can often occur at any age, but is particularly serious at the age of over 40. There are a number of reasons that can make the disease worse, such as poor nutrition, diseases such as urination. Sugar, cardiovascular and cancer. Factors such as smoking, stress, some medications . can also affect the condition of the gums. The gum lesions are curable, so you need to be concerned about early detection. It is best to keep your mouth clean.