Elderly Dental Care
As an elderly person, you have many needs when it comes to your teeth. Dental care is especially important for you because you are more susceptible to tooth decay, gum disease and other dental problems with increasing age.
Therefore, as you already know, it is especially crucial that you become skilled at taking care of your own teeth and keeping them healthy.
There is a significant growth rate of ageing and a need to take extra care in lifestyle and dental care. Leading dentists from the Faculty of Dental Surgery, at the Royal College of Surgeons evaluates that across England, Wales and Northern Ireland* at least 1.8 million people aged 65 and over have an urgent dental condition.
These are conditions such as oral sepsis (a dental infection that can lead to blood poisoning), dental pain, or extensive decay in untreated teeth. They further conclude that this number could rise by more than 50% by 2040. They have warned that there is an urgent need to improve oral healthcare for older people.
As the body degenerates over time, our ageing bodies stand the chance of being prone to diseases and infections – including oral cavities. The teeth, over the years, change and during old age becomes weakened and prone to infections and cavities.
There is a need for deliberate dental care. And if you are a carer for an elderly loved one, caring for them will also involve taking into account their oral hygiene. To encourage eating and proper dietary intake, their mouth has to be kept healthy.
To better understand dental care for the elderly, there is a need to consider the importance, needs, and preventive measures needed for your best quality of life.
Elderly Dental Care: Importance Of Dental Care For Elderly
The Importance Of Dental Care For the Elderly cannot be over-emphasised. Especially since improving your dental health is essential to improving your overall health as well.
So, you may ask, “if drinking water frequently during meals is necessary to improve digestion and wash the mouth of residue food particles, then why is elderly dental care needed?
Truth be told, water after meals do not completely remove stains, food particles, and substances stuck between the crown of the teeth.
Importance Of Elderly Dental Care On Health Conditions: Video
Therefore to avoid feeding the bacteria in your mouth and increasing the spread of the decomposition activity, dental care is important. Especially because it helps prevent tooth decay, gum diseases and heart disease risks – amongst others.
Importance Of Dental Care For Elderly: Prevents Tooth Decay
The build-up of bacteria and substances over the years forms plaque in the mouth. The plaques formed on the teeth could lead to teeth decaying.
To prevent this, good dental care for the elderly is necessary.
Importance Of Dental Care For Elderly: Effectively Prevents Gum Disease
The teeth are not the only affected area when bacteria and other micro-organisms strike. Your gums can also be infected.
If the teeth are not properly cleaned and the tongue remains loaded with infectious micro-organisms, these can infect the gums. Cleaning your mouth/ teeth and maintaining dental hygiene greatly reduces the risk of gum disease.
Importance Of Dental Care For Elderly: Keeps The Teeth Healthy For Best Diet
Your mouth is that sensitive part of the body that controls the intake of food. If there are mouth sores or teeth infections, it’ll be hard to maintain a good diet.
As an elderly person, to ensure that you eat well and enjoy the taste of your food, good hygiene for the teeth and mouth need to be practised.
Importance Of Dental Care For Elderly: Reduces Heart Disease Risk
For so long, the relationship between heart disease and dental care has been debated. It has been reported that gum disease increases the risk of heart disease. With several studies on this, the British Heart Foundation reports that there is an increased risk of coronary heart disease with gum infection. It is, therefore, important to keep the mouth healthy through proper dental hygiene.
Importance Of Dental Care For Elderly: Prevents Oral Cancer
Good dental care can help prevent oral cancer. According to research, inadequate dental hygiene increases the risk of the body producing cancerous cells in the mouth.
Keeping your mouth healthy is crucial in maintaining your best quality of life.
Elderly Dental Care Needs
Proper elderly dental care needs involve a mixture of activities.
One way you can take care of your dental care is by watching what you eat. We all know that the food that we eat will affect our overall health – including our oral health.
Elderly Oral/ Dental Care Needs: Video
It is advisable to reduce sugary meals, as the sugar speeds up dental decay. Also drink enough water during meals, especially after.
Swish your drinking water gently around your teeth and gums after eating. And swallow. This is an easy way to reduce food debris and the sugar level in your mouth. You may find this an easier alternative to brushing your teeth after every meal.
Another thing you can do to ensure your oral health is taken care of is, by visiting your dentist regularly. Unlike with your GP, dental healthcare is cheaper but not free on the NHS. To help you manage your dental bills, you could ask for a dental plan with your dentist.
A dental plan is an ideal option as you can then choose the type of plan that works best for your needs, without worrying too much about the cost of dental care. It will mean you make regular smaller payments to your dentist, so that you will always have money available for your dental care. It may also help you reduce the cost of your dental care significantly.
Top 4 Elderly Dental Care Needs
Your top 4 elderly dental care needs include:
1. Brush Twice Daily
Take notice and brush your teeth at least twice daily.
Keeping the teeth clean with a British Dental Association (BDA) prescribed toothbrush and toothpaste will clean impurities and reduce the chances of tooth decay and mouth sores.
2. Keep Dentures Clean
If you use partial or full dentures, they should be removed when due and kept in a sterile environment.
The dentures must be kept clean and washed regularly. Infectious germs can hide within dentures, so cleaning your dentures is vital to proper dental hygiene.
3. Visit your dentist regularly
Regular visits to your dentist are crucial. Although there might not be presenting symptoms that can be seen, different dental issues might be lurking undetected.
It’s also important that you report all mouth sores and teeth issues to the dentist during visits.
And, if you notice any signs of discomfort while eating, reporting this to a dentist as soon as possible as well.
4. Maintain a healthy diet
A healthy diet does not necessarily involve food alone. Although food is fundamental and eating the right balanced diet is crucial to dental care, also staying clear of harmful substances is necessary.
Elderly dental care needs also involve making sure that the elderly person does not smoke. Smoking has a bad effect on the teeth with the cancer agents present within its particles.
Therefore, good care of the teeth also entails staying clear of cigarettes and other harmful substances to the teeth.
Recommended Oral care products
Tooth Decay And Gum Disease In Elderly
Tooth and gum disease is largely associated with poor dental care. When the teeth are not kept clean, bacteria will build upon the surface of the teeth and form plaques. These plaques slowly begin to break down the particles of the teeth and feed on the teeth. This is when tooth decay sets in.
When bacteria move from the tooth and infect the gums, it develops into gum disease. Naturally, dental flora (naturally occurring bacteria on the teeth) are present to safeguard the teeth against other pathogenic organisms.
However, when you do not maintain good teeth hygiene, pathogenic bacteria are introduced and the dental flora could become pathogenic.
Bad dental care includes poor diet, smoking cigarettes or tobacco products, using worn-out dentures, and not cleaning dentures regularly. A result of these leads to tooth decay and gum disease.
Tooth decay and gum disease are usually painful occurrences that could hinder you from eating, as an elderly person. It could even lead to heart disease and/ or worsen cases of diabetes.
How To Prevent Tooth Decay And Gum Disease In Elderly
To prevent tooth decay and gum disease, the dental hygiene/ care practices highlighted in this post need to be routinely done.
It is also important to stay away from tobacco products and cancer-causing agents.
And, sugary foods and sweets should be taken in moderation and only when the requirements for a balanced diet are being met.
Prevent Elderly Tooth Decay/ Gum Disease with Good Oral Hygiene: Video
Regular visits to your dentist is essential. If you have a toothache, go see your dentist. Avoid taking painkillers without a prescription to lessen the pain, so you can skip dental visits.
When you are looking for a dentist, look for someone who is experienced. You can check out dentists through the care quality commission website or through the British Dental Association website. Read reviews about their practice and how long they have been in business. You should be able to find at least one dentist in your area through this method.
Dental emergencies do happen, and you need to know you have a dentist to call on, if you ever have a dental emergency. A dentist appointment will help you understand the state of your teeth and mouth. Or dial 111 for a referral to a dental service near you.
Medications needed to treat specific infections must also be prescribed to avoid antibiotic resistance during severe infections and worsened life quality.
How To Clean Elderly Teeth Properly
Cleaning your teeth properly is critical, to prevent tooth decay and gum disease. And to supercharge your smile power 🙂
Here’s a quick video showing how.
How To Brush Elderly Teeth Properly: Video
And here are the steps to best clean elderly teeth properly:
1. Have a prescribed toothpaste and toothbrush from your dentist. Be sure your toothpaste is recommended by a dentist, so it’s perfect for your particular oral situation.
A pea-sized amount of toothpaste is usually enough.
Use a toothbrush with soft/ medium bristles. For a faster and more thorough brushing, a three-sided surround toothbrush works wonders!
2. Brush your teeth twice daily, for a minimum of 2-3 minutes. That excludes the time for flossing.
Brush with care and not vigorously, to avoid injuring your gum or leading them to bleed.
3. Brush at a 45° angle to your gumline. Move your toothbrush in small, circular motions across your teeth – upper, lower, inner, outer and biting surfaces of your teeth.
4. Brush your tongue properly to wash off all particles and bacteria that could cause a bad odour and affect your teeth.
5. Spit the toothpaste out.
Updated advice is not to rinse your mouth. But if you feel uncomfortable with no rinsing because you feel you might still have particles in your mouth, you could rinse.
Then apply another pea-sized amount of toothpaste, brush for about another 10 seconds. Spit that out and don’t rinse.
6. Floss regularly and with utmost care.
How To Get Free Dental Care For Elderly
As an elderly person, you can get free dental care through NHS dentists under certain conditions.
As an elderly person you can receive free NHS dental care if you receive Income Support, Income-related Employment Support Allowance, Income-based Jobseekers Allowance, and/or if you are an outpatient or you are admitted to an NHS hospital.
Here is a detailed video on your eligibility for free dental care with the NHS
NHS free dental treatment: Video
NHS dentists are usually present locally, depending on the area you live in.
Understand that elderly dental care is one important part of elderly daily living. It improves your quality of life. Good oral hygiene is essential to maintain the optimum state of your living.
The mouth is crucial to several actions. When eating and talking is hindered, that could lead to malnutrition and other complicated health issues.
It is, therefore, essential to consider all the dental hygiene and elderly dental care procedures highlighted earlier in this post.
Conclusion
The most important thing about elderly dental care is making sure you take care of yourself and your mouth. Have cleanings twice a year and use a British Dental Association approved toothpaste and toothbrush. If you wear dentures, ensure they fit well and don’t slip.
You need to eat well and exercise often. You also need to take precautions to protect your mouth from cavities. Regular brushing and flossing will help to prevent this problem. Your dentist can also recommend additional measures for your oral health.
And smile often 🙂
Show off all that hard work of keeping your teeth and mouth in top shape. Isn’t that the favourite reward of good oral care you can actually share with others? 🙂
Have you any questions about your dental care as an elderly person, ask away and we’ll find answers together…
Recommended Oral care products
https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/news-and-events/media-centre/press-releases/older-people-oral-health/
https://www.bgs.org.uk/resources/improving-oral-health-in-older-people
https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/health-wellbeing/health-services/dental-services-for-older-people/
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng48/chapter/Recommendations
https://www.dentalhealth.org/caring-for-the-elderly
https://www.aplaceformom.com/caregiver-resources/articles/senior-dental-care
