When you start aging, your entire body ages too, and that includes teeth. As your loved one gets older, they may forget to brush their teeth or care for them, which can be so bad and lead to negative health concerns. Your senior may have never focused on their teeth and have developed bad habits over the years. However, when they choose to age in place, they should be focusing on their teeth by brushing and flossing to avoid things like cancer or infections. If your loved one needs help brushing teeth, this is something that elder care can do for your loved one.
Avoid Sugar
Your senior may have eaten a lot of sugar over the years, and it can impact their teeth. The damage from sugar can be awful, especially if your senior has a bad habit of not brushing and flossing. Diet plays a huge role in how your body works and feels and even impacts tooth decay. They should be brushing and flossing every time they eat, but this can be a hard habit to get into. Many dentists say you should brush three times a day, but it truly depends on how much your loved one eats, but they should especially focus on after eating or drinking anything sugary.
Go for a Regular Checkup
Your senior should be going to the dentist regularly. The dentist will inform you how often your loved one should be going, and elder care can drive your loved one when it’s time. The dentist will be able to help pull teeth, fill in cavities, and keep their mouths in good shape. If anything is wrong, a dentist should be the first to know how to develop a plan to keep the pain at a minimum.
Start Using Floss
Your seniors may be good at brushing their teeth, but they may not know the importance of flossing, so they skip it. Brushing is great because it gets rid of a lot of the leftover food in the mouth, but it doesn’t always get between the teeth. If the food is left too long, it can start an infection, create cavities, or be uncomfortable for your loved one. This is why it is so important to floss every day. It will help get rid of old food and prevent plaque.
If your senior relies on elder care to help floss, a dentist can help elder care understand the proper techniques to floss someone else’s teeth. Ensure whoever helps your senior daily is also going to the dentist with your senior.
Start Using Mouthwash
Believe it or not, mouthwash is a great way to fight cavities and bad breath. Of course, you can’t use it alone, but when paired with flossing and brushing, it can be one of the best ways to keep a senior’s mouth feeling fresh and clean it out. Mouthwash can get rid of any leftover bacteria that may cause harm to a senior’s mouth and will help your loved one smell better.
If you or an aging loved-one is considering Elder Care in Claremont, CA please contact the caring staff at Calvary Senior Care today. (866) 710-8767
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