La Jolla Senior Care News

Essential Steps for Elderly Oral Hygiene

Senior Care La Costa CA

Senior Care La Costa CAThe importance of good oral hygiene doesn’t diminish as we age. Taking proper care of mouth and teeth is essential for everyone.  The benefit of having a healthy mouth is you are able to eat healthy foods to give you nutrition. You will also feel positive about laughing, talking and smiling without feeling self-conscious about your teeth or mouth.  As teeth are supposed to last a lifetime, when you look after them properly you give them the protection they need for many years.

How to Protect Your Teeth against Tooth Decay

Enamel is the hard coating on the outside of your teeth and each day a very thin layer of bacteria develops on your teeth that can, over time, start to make holes in the enamel.  These holes are often referred to as cavities.  Although flossing and brushing regularly can prevent decay, once you have a cavity a dentist needs to fix it.

Gum Diseases

When plaque develops under and along your gum line, it can cause gum disease that hurts the bones holding the teeth in place and the gums themselves.  Another name for this type of gum disease is gingivitis, which can often be avoided by regular flossing and brushing.

There are other gum diseases only a dentist can effectively treat.  In order to prevent gum disease the following tips will help:

  • Use fluoride toothpaste to brush your teeth at least 2 times every day
  • Floss at least once every day
  • Regularly visit your dentist for cleaning and checkups
  • Eat a balanced, healthy diet
  • Quit smoking as this increases the risk of lung cancer, bronchitis, gum disease and other diseases

The Right Way to Brush and Floss Your Teeth

There is only a right way and a wrong way to clean and floss your teeth.   You need to brush each tooth on all sides using fluoride toothpaste and a soft bristled brush, using short back and forth and circular motions.  It is important for you to spend some time brushing gently and carefully along your gum line and then lightly brush your tongue as well to help keep your mouth as clean as possible.

Clean your teeth using dental floss each and every day.  Gently and very carefully flossing your teeth will take any leftover food and plaque you couldn’t get with your brush.  Always rinse immediately after flossing.   If you experience pain in your mouth or bleeding gums after flossing or brushing, consult with your dentist.

Senior care services is the perfect solution for families who need some help caring for their senior loved ones. A trained and loving caregiver can come into your loved one’s home and assist them with personal care tasks such as bathing, oral hygiene, hair care and dressing. Other services like medication reminders, light housekeeping and meal preparation are also provided.

For more information about how the caregivers at La Jolla Nurses Homecare can help your aging parents get to their annual appointments, call 858-454-9339. We are a home care agency providing quality and affordable senior care in La Costa, CA, and the surrounding communities.

Brittnei Salerno

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