Age by itself shouldn’t affect oral health
Age by itself shouldn’t affect oral healthSome health conditions, like joint pain in your hands, can make it difficult to perform regular tooth brushing and flossing. Some folks can also experience an inherited condition leading to dental issues. Finally, some medications can also influence dental health, or even contribute to forgetting to brush due to side effects. For all of these reasons, dental hygiene for seniors should be a priority, and should always include scheduling regular dental checkups and teeth cleanings every six months or more with your regular dentist and hygienist at Nashville Aesthetic Dentistry – Dennis J. Wells, DDS – Dr. Dennis Wells.
Senior dental care improvements
Regardless of age, you should always be brushing and flossing twice a day, as an important safeguard for maintaining oral health. But there’s more to ongoing dental care than we typically are aware of. The following expert advice from the American Dental Association gives excellent guidelines to help maintain good oral health:
- Brush twice daily using a toothbrush with soft bristles to protect your gums and remember to use a quality toothpaste with fluoride.
- Preferred is a quality electric toothbrush model, as suggested by your dentist
- Try to clean between your teeth twice a day with either floss or another type of cleaning tool.
- Rinse your mouth with an antibacterial mouthwash at least once a day.
- Denture wearers should remember to clean them on a daily basis
- Remove your dentures from your mouth for a minimum of four hours every day, and remember to remove them at night
- Get your Flouride
- Since most tap water contains fluoride, it can help prevent tooth decay no matter how old you are. If you’re averse to tap water, you can also buy fluoride supplements
- Quit smoking
- In addition to the risk for lung cancer and heart disease, smoking increases problems with gum disease, tooth decay, and tooth loss
- Visit Dr. Dennis Wells at Nashville Aesthetic Dentistry – Dennis J. Wells, DDS on a regular schedule for dental check-ups, cleanings and oral exams.
- Eat a well-balanced diet that includes vegetables and high-fiber foods.