Taking good care of your teeth and gums is important—regardless of your age. When we were young, we developed healthy habits of frequent brushing and flossing to prevent cavities and keep our teeth healthy. As we age, taking care of our dental health remains a crucial part of our everyday life. However, the amount of attention it requires changes. The older we get, the more attention our teeth require, as our teeth are more susceptible to oral conditions than younger individuals. That’s why in today’s blog, we’ll be going over 4 tips for elderly dental care and why it’s important in maintaining a senior’s overall quality of life.
1. Regular Dental Visits
Regularly scheduled visits to the dentist are vital for senior dental health. Infrequent visits—or worse—no visits at all can allow time for problems to develop and worsen. Seniors have to schedule dental cleanings at least two times a year. Depending on your specific situation, you may require more. With a dentist continuously checking on your dental health, they can help you diagnose problems early before they become a serious health problem. Remember! Healing takes more time as we get older, so the best thing you can do for yourself is to prevent the issue beforehand!
2. Brush Daily
While brushing may seem like a given, we cannot stress enough its importance—especially as a senior. While brushing twice a day is a great routine for most seniors, some dentists may recommend that you also brush in between meals. Everyone’s situation is different, so make sure to ask your dentist what brushing routine will benefit you the most.
Dental care becomes more difficult as we get older; that is why many dentists recommend electric toothbrushes to improve brushing techniques. Whether you brush with an electric toothbrush or not, be sure to replace it at least every three months. With a regular brushing routine, the probabilities of you encountering dental problems will decrease significantly!
3. Take Care of Your Dentures, Mouthguard, and Oral Appliances
Very often, elderly dental care includes the use of oral appliances such as dentures, mouthguards, etc. Your dentist will give you specific instructions on how to properly care for them—and it’s vital that you follow them. If something goes wrong with, say, your dental implant, it’s important that you get it checked as soon as possible. Remember, your dental appliances are playing a role in your quality of life and dental health, so be sure to take care of them as though they were naturally part of you.
4. Take Calcium Supplements
Calcium is a necessary part of dental health for seniors. As we get older, we tend not to get enough calcium in our diets. Besides consuming fewer calcium products, we need even more calcium in our diets than before. This is because seniors are more susceptible to osteoporosis than any other subset in the population. Osteoporosis causes the bone to become more porous, thus reducing bone mass and making them weaker. It can cause the bones around our teeth to break down, resulting in serious health problems. Increasing your calcium intake will combat this problem and keep your teeth as strong and healthy as possible! If consuming more food with calcium is not enough, you can take calcium supplements as well.
Get the Dental Care You Deserve
As we get older, our teeth require more attention than ever before. That’s why maintaining a healthy dental care routine is especially important at this age. We hope these 4 tips for elderly dental care tips help you see what you can do to keep your teeth as healthy as possible. If you’re concerned about your dental health or want to schedule a dental check-up to ensure your dental health is in tip-top condition, the friendly team at Dental Arts San Diego is more than happy to help! Give us a call at (619) 444-1001, or click here to schedule an appointment. We are located at 707 Arnele Avenue, El Cajon, CA 92020.
