Dental care is important at every stage of life, and seniors are no exception. While seniors have unique considerations when caring for their teeth, they should also keep up regular practices, like teeth cleaning, to help preserve natural teeth throughout a lifetime. In this guide, learn more about essential care practices and how they can help seniors enjoy their teeth for years to come.

Dental Hygiene

Brushing, flossing, and using mouthwash remain as important as ever after the age of 65, but a lifetime of use and physical changes can present new challenges for even these simple tasks. To access hard-to-reach areas of your mouth, look into angled or tuft-tipped toothbrushes. These give you greater leverage to access rear teeth.

Electric toothbrushes are also a good way to clean teeth without straining wrists or fingers. If arthritis or similar conditions are causing you difficulty in gripping or maneuvering your toothbrush, try inserting the non-bristle end into a tennis ball for a stronger grip.

Denture Care

Dentures are a great way to restore chewing ability and independence, but they also have several unique care requirements. After each meal, remove and rinse your dentures to clear away any residual food particles. While your dentures are out, use a soft-bristled toothbrush to gently clean your gums, tongue, cheeks, and the roof of your mouth.

It’s essential that you soak your dentures overnight to ensure they’re fresh and clean in the morning, and always report any looseness or discomfort to your dentist. Poorly-fitting dentures can cause serious damage to gums, natural teeth, and jawbones.

Benefits of Regular Dental Visits

Making a habit of visiting your dentist for checkups and teeth cleaning is the most reliable way to preserve your teeth and to detect potential health problems early on. A dentist will be able to diagnose and address root and enamel decay, darkening, stomatitis caused by ill-fitting dentures, dry mouth, and gum decay.

While teeth cleaning can eliminate many of the root causes of these conditions, early detection will also give your dentist ample time to develop a course of treatment to restore and preserve your natural teeth. Furthermore, regular checkups can increase the chances of successfully detecting gum disease, heart disease, pneumonia, and diabetes, both through visual examination and evaluation of bacteria in the mouth.

 

For your next teeth cleaning or specialized senior dental appointment, contact the team at Waterford Dental Health. Serving residents of all ages in New London County, CT, these expert dentists combine a calm and reassuring manner with the latest in dental technology and techniques to ensure comfort and satisfaction for every patient. To schedule an appointment, call (860) 447-2235. Visit them online to browse their services.