Maintaining your oral health by visiting a dentist regularly is
important at any age, but it's particularly critical for senior
citizens. Seniors may be more susceptible to dental issues because of
physical or cognitive issues that keep them from being able to floss and
brush their teeth as effectively as before. Here are four specific
issues older people typically face.
Cavities
Cavities are
more closely associated with children, but people can get them at any
age - this is particularly a problem among people age 65 and older. The
risk for this condition increases with age because older adults
typically don't visit the dentist as often as they used to. As a result,
cavities go undetected and untreated for far too long.
Problems Eating
People
who have ill-fitting dentures, oral infections, missing teeth, cavities
or gum disease can find it extremely difficult to eat. This problem
leads to issues with the balance of their diet, as well as the quality
of the food they eat. Seeing a dentist is even more important for people
who have this problem because it could easily become a quality-of-life
issue.
Dry Mouth
Many seniors suffer from dry mouth, which
is also known as xerostomia. Saliva plays a very important role in
helping to prevent tooth decay, but many seniors take multiple
medications that can cause dry mouth. These include pain pills,
medications for blood pressure, antihistamines, decongestants,
incontinence medications and several others. Most experts recommend that
seniors reduce their intake of alcohol and caffeine and also drink lots
of water to help combat this problem.
Gum Disease
This
results in an infection of the gums and the other tissues that keep
teeth securely in place. Gum disease typically gets worse as a person
ages, eventually leading to significant pain when chewing. The two most
common forms of the disease are gingivitis and periodontitis. The
symptoms of gingivitis include red, swollen gums that can bleed easily,
while periodontitis occurs when the gums separate from the teeth,
forming spaces that later become infected.
Both forms of gum
disease eventually lead to a build up of plaque on the teeth. If this
plaque is not removed on a regular basis, it turns into tartar that
can't be cleaned by brushing alone. Only a dentist can safely and
effectively remove this material.
While proper flossing and
brushing can help mitigate these and other oral heath problems, the best
way to prevent them entirely is by visiting a dentist on a regular
basis. If you are a senior citizen and you simply can't take care of
your teeth as well as you used to, a dental professional may be able to
suggest ways to make it easier. Please don't ignore this problem,
because it will only worsen over time.
When considering dentists, Canton, MI residents cvan trust www.cantongentledental.com.
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