6 easy steps to care for your elderly teeth and mouth

As you age, your chewing ability may decrease, especially if you lose your teeth and wear ill-fitting dentures. In addition, oral and dental disorders are more likely to develop as you get older, such as bad breath, cavities, gum disease and infections. However, there are many ways to prevent oral and dental problems in order to stay healthy later in life. How do you care for the teeth and mouth of the elderly? Check out the following tips.

Tips for caring for the teeth and mouth of the elderly

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC), as many as 23 percent of people aged 65-74 years have severe oral and dental problems. This often occurs as a result of not taking good care of your teeth and mouth.

Here are tips to prevent oral and dental problems in the elderly, to have a healthy mouth and teeth in old age.

1. Limit sugary and starchy foods

You can prevent oral and dental disorders by reducing or limiting foods or drinks that are sweet and contain starch. Both are foods and drinks that can damage teeth, regardless of your age, both children and the elderly.

Sugar creates acids that can erode your teeth. Meanwhile, foods that contain starch stick to the teeth and form plaque, causing bacteria to accumulate on the teeth.

In addition, also avoid foods or drinks that contain artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, which tends to make you crave more sugar, gain weight, while increasing the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.

2. Brush and flossing your teeth every day

Make sure you keep brushing twice a day and flossing your teeth every day. Remember, these two things are among the most basic ways to care for teeth and mouth that must be done, regardless of the health condition of the elderly.

Toothbrushes can protect your teeth from plaque buildup, decay and gum disease. In addition to brushing and flossing your teeth, you should also clean your teeth by gargling with an antiseptic solution 1-2 times a day. According to the American Dental Association, routine gargling with an antiseptic solution can prevent plaque buildup and gum disease.

3. Visit the dentist regularly

By visiting the dentist regularly, it can help you to detect dental problems that may occur at an early stage. If you delay treatment, you may experience permanent tooth decay.

While you are at the dental clinic, the doctor will thoroughly examine and treat the teeth of your elderly person, to the point where you cannot reach them. This will make your teeth, gums, and mouth healthier.

4. Stop smoking

Smoking can accelerate the breakdown of mouth and teeth and oral tissues by lowering the immune system and reducing the amount of oxygen in the blood.

Smokers are very susceptible to gum disease. So, smoking is an important concern in the aging process related to teeth. Smoking is also a risk factor in developing oral cancer.

Therefore, if you are a smoker it is better to quit smoking and start living a healthier life.

5. Take care of the teeth according to the doctor's recommendation

If you have had dental implants or dental fillings, this will need appropriate care to keep your teeth healthy in old age. Get treatment recommended by your doctor to keep your teeth repaired.

If you wear dentures, make sure you keep them clean and follow your dentist's specific care guidelines. Just like natural teeth, dentures can last a long time if you take good care of them.

If you experience signs of unhealthy teeth, bad breath, or discomfort in your teeth and mouth, see your dentist immediately.

6. Maintain a healthy diet

A healthy and balanced diet will help care for the teeth and mouth of the elderly. Make sure to add fermented foods to your diet to help balance the bacteria that live in your mouth.

Fermented foods such as cheese, butter, kefir, and yogurt. You can also add other fermented foods such as kimchi, kombucha, or miso in your daily menu.

Also, consume foods that can help boost your immune system. This will help protect you from infections and diseases including in the mouth, as you get older.

Some of the immune-boosting foods include garlic, coconut oil, leafy greens, spirulina, papaya, kiwi, and oranges.