Problems inside the mouth can easily go unnoticed by family members who are caregivers, and elderly patients who have other health problems may not prioritize their oral concerns.
A key part of elderly health care is ensuring the teeth and mouth are healthy. Here are three elderly health care tips to consider.
1. Check Your Loved One’s Mouth
When seniors have pain or discomfort inside their mouths, they don’t always say anything. They may feel like they’re a burden on their caregivers and feel hesitant to mention another problem, or they may have a condition like dementia that can affect communication.
If you’re caring for an elderly loved one, noticing oral health problems may be your responsibility. With their permission, use a flashlight to check for changes inside the mouth. If you check regularly, it will be easier for you to notice changes. Make sure to wear gloves to protect both of you from germs.
Things to watch out for include ulcers or sores inside the mouth, bleeding gums, dark spots on the teeth, or cracks in the teeth. Swelling, redness, or colour changes in any of the oral tissues are also things to look for. If you notice any changes, bring your loved one to a dentist right away.
2. Help with Daily Oral Care
Oral hygiene is a key part of elderly health care. Seniors’ teeth need to be brushed twice a day and flossed once a day, just like anyone else’s teeth. However, seniors with arthritis or other health concerns may have trouble holding a toothbrush or using floss. If your loved one isn’t able to brush their teeth, they’ll need assistance from you or another caregiver.
Brushing and flossing another person’s teeth can be difficult, but your dentist or dental hygienist can show you how to do it properly. If you’re not comfortable with these tasks, a trained caregiver can brush and floss your loved one’s teeth.
If your loved one wears dentures, you may think that an oral hygiene routine is unnecessary. While dentures can’t get cavities, they still need to be cleaned and cared for. When dentures aren’t cleaned, food and plaque will build up on them, and this can lead to problems like bad breath or oral infections.
Cleaning dentures isn’t any harder than cleaning natural teeth. The dentures need to be rinsed with water after each meal, and they need to be brushed at least once a day. It’s not a good idea to sleep wearing dentures, so before your loved one goes to bed, make sure the dentures are removed and soaking in water.
3. Schedule Regular Dentist Appointments
Everyone needs to go to the dentist regularly, and your senior loved one is no exception. The Canadian Dental Association recommends getting a dental exam once every six months. If your loved one hasn’t been to the dentist in a while, it’s time to book an appointment.
The goal of these visits is to identify and treat oral health care problems early, before they get worse. Cavities aren’t the only thing dentists are looking for, so regular visits to the dentist are also essential for people who wear dentures. These visits are important for things like making sure the dentures still fit properly, performing oral cancer screenings, and making sure the gums are healthy.
It’s a good idea to look for a dentist who has experience working with seniors or people with dementia. Give the dentist a list of all the medications your loved one is taking since medications can have an effect on the mouth.
With these oral health care tips, you can keep your loved one healthy.
