Oral health is a much more important issue for your elderly loved one than you or she might realize. Some of the issues that your loved one might be dealing with can even complicate each other.
Dental Wear and Tear
Teeth take a real beating throughout a lifetime and your elderly loved one’s teeth are no exception. Over time, the years of chewing can create some damage to your loved one’s teeth. Keeping up with dental appointments can help your loved one to deal with this wear and tear without having to lose any of her teeth. Avoiding cavities and other tooth problems is imperative for keeping your loved one’s teeth in good condition.
Oral Diseases
Receding gums, gingivitis, and other oral diseases can become far worse over time. If your loved one ignores these issues, they can lead to significant pain and even tooth loss. Managing these issues may be more difficult as well if your loved one has avoided dealing with them. Some of these issues may require surgery or medication in order to correct them.
Tooth Loss
If your loved one is losing any of her teeth, you may already realize that this causes problems throughout her entire mouth. Your loved one’s dentist may be able to save most of her teeth, but this requires regular appointments in which he’s able to spot problems before they become too big to deal with right then.
Dry Mouth
Dry mouth can result from dental issues but it can also be a result of medication side effects or other health issues. Dry mouth can make eating extremely uncomfortable for your loved one and it needs to be managed carefully, especially if your loved one is dealing with causes that are not related to her oral health. Keep in mind that dry mouth can make other oral problems, such as tooth decay and loss, much worse.
Letting the people who help your loved one, such as elder care providers, know her oral routine can help her to stay on track and avoid some of these issues. The more people who can help your loved one with her oral health, the better.
IF YOU OR AN AGING LOVED ONE ARE CONSIDERING IN-HOME ELDER CARE IN LAS VEGAS, NV, PLEASE CONTACT THE CARING STAFF AT GOLDEN HEART SENIOR CARE. CALL TODAY 702-800-4616.