Dental Health And Aging – What Should You Know?

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Tooth care for seniors is just as important as for youngsters. Oral health with the elderly person has a huge impact on life quality because of how the person eats, what they can eat, how the smile looks like and how a person can speak. Poor oral health will always lead to periodontal disease and tooth decay, among many other problems that could appear.

Aging And Teeth

Contrary to popular belief, it is not a given that you will lose teeth as you age. If you properly take care of your teeth you are going to have teeth that last for a lifetime. The problem is that it is tougher to have perfect oral hygiene. As an example, if you suffer from arthritis, flossing and brushing become tough. Power toothbrushes that have a larger handle are normally recommended. You can also move away from the regular floss and opt for pre-loaded models or for water irrigation devices that are available in most drugstores.

Xerostomia

This is a condition that basically means dry mouth. It will increase tooth decay risk and is quite a problem when you age. The big problem is that the mouth will not produce enough saliva as we age. To make matters even worse, because of different drugs that we take, the mouth becomes even drier. Statistics show that people take more drugs than ever before, so xerostomia is a real problem to consider. What you have to do in order to solve this problem is to talk with the family dentist. He will tell you exactly what to do and will make recommendations that are good for you.

Digestion Problems

Digestion problems normally appear as people age. This is normally connected with mild heartburn and gastric reflux. The condition you most likely already heard about is GERD (Gastric Esophageal Reflux Disease). Treating this condition will actually do wonders in decreasing mouth acidity.

Treatment Of Tooth Decay

It is practically impossible not to be faced with tooth decay as we live. Sooner or later this is going to happen. Treatment is very important since the dentist has to quickly solve the problems that appear. If this is not done, you might end up with more serious problems. People that are older will be faced with faster decay than those that are younger. That is why it is more important to go to the dentist as soon as possible and set up a checkup schedule that takes you to the dentist more often than when you are young.

Dentures

Many seniors wear partial or removable dentures. When this is the case it is important to get them checked for proper fit. If the dentures press too much on mouth tissue, gum and bone changes can easily occur. If bone loss appears, prostheses are no longer stable. Denture adjustment is necessary in order to be sure that everything stays as it should. Once again, frequent visits to your dentist will be necessary.

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Boris Dzhingarov

Boris Dzhingarov is a business news writer who covers a wide range of issues.