There are several things you can do to ensure the adequate dental care for the elderly in nursing homes. Oral health directly impacts the quality of life and all-round health. Dental disease is a basic cause of emergency visits and medical rooms, says the American Dental Association. Common chronic illnesses in senior adults, like heart disease or diabetes, and medications put the elderly at great risk for dental issues. So, this article offers a few steps to take to help elderly loved ones to maintain excellent dental health.
- Remind the loved one to brush
Always remind your elderly loved one to brush with fluoride toothpaste twice daily at least. An electric, soft brush might make dental hygiene much easier. If your senior is forgetful, then help him/her set reminders. If you are taking care of somebody who cannot maintain excellent dental health, it’s then crucial to make sure that his/her teeth and mouth are clean.
- Remind the loved one to floss regularly
Daily flossing helps to prevent gum disease and plague. If your loved has any issues with flossing, then speak with the dentist as regards other varying techniques and tools that might help out.
- Schedule regular visits to the dentist
Regular appointments with the dentist could help in the prevention of dental issues and in keeping your loved one’s teeth healthy. This is among the foremost dental care for the elderly person you have in your life. The American Dental Association has recommended that seniors see an expert dentist once annually at least, for checkups and cleanings.
- Keep dentures quite clean
Remind your elderly person to always clean his/her full or partial dentures on an everyday basis, and to also take them off at night.
- Tell dentists about medications and medical conditions
Tell the dentist all about any medical conditions that your elderly loved one might have or medications he/she might be taking. If dry mouth happens to be an issue, then the expert dentist might be able to provide strategies or techniques that will help to have it relieved.
- Encourage a healthy diet
Encourage your loved one to always consume a diet that is quite healthy. It should be a diet that is not high in sugar so as to prevent the occurrence of tooth decay and other varying health issues.
- Encourage your elderly loved one to quit smoking
It can be quite challenging to stop smoking, but it helps greatly to significantly decrease the risks that are related to lots of varying health challenges. Your elderly loved one’s doctor might be capable of offering medications or strategies that will help him/her to quit completely.
Poor dental hygiene and health could actually mean signs that show that your elderly loved one requires assistance with activities that make daily living possible. You should consider whether they need dental care for elderly in nursing homes, or it’s time to go for assisted living, in which staff are capable of helping with dressing, grooming, management of medications, and so much more, while offering lots of varying opportunities for social activities as well as engagement. The steps offered here should help you in choosing.