The health of your teeth can directly affect the health of the rest of your body. In fact, dental and health professionals believe that a lot of health problems can be better managed and prevented by simply taking better care of your teeth and gums. Problems relating to the mouth can affect seniors even more than their younger counterparts, and sometimes issues can be overlooked. This could cause lots of bad health problems.
Dental Health and Age
As is common knowledge, age can bring with it a lot of health problems. For the most part, certain health issues aren’t thought of to be related to dental health. Take arthritis for example: if you have it in your hands and fingers, then you’re more likely to feel pain when trying to brush your teeth. This can result in people brushing less due to pain.
Another issue is something that is a result of genetics. Certain people are genetically inclined to have dental problems. The only way to battle genetics is to simply be more aware and brush, floss, and visit the dentist frequently. Actively combating these dental health issues can mean the difference between preventing issues, or living with them.
Let’s face it, we all want our teeth to be pearly white so that when we smile we light up the room. As we age, unfortunately, our teeth tend to darken. This is due to both internal and external factors. The internal factors are because of the dentin in our teeth (bone-like tissue under the enamel), changes with age. Externally, our choices of foods, drinks, and more can affect tooth appearance. If you smoke, drink dark liquids like coffee or cola, chances are your teeth will begin to change color. This can be prevented by simply changing what you eat and drink, and quitting smoking. You can also see your dentist for teeth whitening procedures.
The Care Your Teeth Deserve
If you’re part of a Bonaventure Senior Living community, be it retirement living, assisted living, or memory care, you enjoy a vast assortment of food, coffee, sweets, and tea. Making sure that you brush at least twice a day, if not after every meal and snack, can help prevent any dental health problems you could have.
In assisted living and memory care, sometimes brushing is not an option. In fact, in can be either extremely painful or impossible, depending on the person and situation. But with assisted living and memory care, there’s help when you need it. Making sure that teeth brushing is part of your care plan can be essential to preventing issues.
If you wear dentures, make sure that you clean them daily. Removing them at night is good as it lets your mouth rest from the pressure of the dentures and allows time for them to get clean.
Conclusion
It’s very important that the health of your mouth is taken with as much, and sometimes more, seriousness as the health of the rest of your body. There may often be a disconnect between body health and mouth health, but don’t forget, the two are quite connected and one can certainly affect the other. Make sure you talk to your health professional if you need any advice about dental health care.
