As we get older, it’s an important time to take care of our overall health, as well as ourdental health. Poor dental hygiene in later stages of life can put individuals at risk ofcontracting chronic diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease. There’s never been a better time to put your dental health first, so here are some tips oneasy routine changes to make sure you’re taking care of those teeth into your older years.
Maintain a healthy intake of calcium
Osteoporosis is a condition that affects many older individuals and causes bones to becomeweak and less dense due to a lack of calcium in the body. Unfortunately, this condition canalso affect your teeth, with a study from the National Institute of Health stating that womenwho have osteoporosis are three times more likely to lose a tooth when compared towomen without osteoporosis.
In rare cases, the medication used to treat osteoporosis can also cause osteonecrosis whichis a condition that causes severe damage to the jaw bone. The best way to avoid facingthese challenges in older years, is to ensure that you have a diet high in calcium, either fromcalcium rich foods, or calcium supplements.
Watch out for chronic dry mouth
As you get older, you may be required to take different medications to keep up your health.Some medications will cause side-effects of reducing saliva production in the mouth, whichcan lead to chronic dry mouth.
Chronic dry mouth is an uncomfortable condition, and without treatment can bedetrimental to your tooth health. Saliva plays an important role in our mouth, helping toreduce bacteria and rebuild enamel. Without the assistance of saliva within the mouth, theteeth can begin to decay, eventually leading to tooth loss.
Keep your teeth and dentures clean
Keeping up a good dental health routine is the key to ongoing healthy teeth and gumsthroughout later life. The 55 plus age group is still very much at risk of developing gumdisease and tooth or root decay, which is why it’s important to continue brushing twice perday and flossing on a daily basis.
If you have dentures, make sure to keep them clean, soak them overnight and clean themafter eating food. If dentures aren’t cleaned properly, they can develop bacteria in yourmouth which can lead to gum disease.
Avoid foods that are high in sugar, and carbonated drinks. If you do consume these, makesure to brush your teeth immediately after. Having a healthy and nutrient dense diet is thefirst step to improving overall health, and dental health.
If you’re over 55, you should be keeping up your bi-yearly check-up. This will allow yourdentist to check for any concerns around your saliva, tooth strength and overall oral health.Book in your next appointment today, at www.myaffordabledentists.com.au
