Dental care is something that we stress with our children, but it is also extremely important for the elderly to pay careful attention to, as well. In fact, because dental health is so closely tied to other areas of health, it might even be more important that we pay better attention to the health of our mouths as we age. When helping care for an elderly loved one, though, this can often be overlooked. There are a lot of excuses for this, but none of them really hold any water. Whether your mom or dad has their teeth still or not, there’s a lot of good that can be done just by making sure that this portion of their health is under control.
Taking care of our oral health is important at any age. We stress this so much to our children with the hopes that we can create healthy habits early in life so that they will be second nature by the time they are adults. Teeth and gums play such an important role in overall health because our mouths are such a needed part of our bodies. We eat and drink with this part of our body, we speak with our mouths, and we breathe with our mouths.
Many seniors have no teeth, but instead wear dentures. This might seem like dental health is less needed, but this isn’t a reason to neglect oral health. In fact, the use of dentures can sometimes exacerbate things like thrush, which is a fungus living in the mouth and throat. Dentures can also sometimes mask more serious health issues, such as oral cancer. Regular dental checkups can uncover these health problems early and ensure that your loved one gets the care that they need before it’s too late.
The simple facts say that if we have good health, we will have a higher quality of life. When it comes to oral health, this might even be more the case. Our teeth and our mouths are a focal point of who we are. When you speak to someone, you use your mouth to form and enunciate the words. Poor dental health can be embarrassing for some, but this doesn’t mean that it can just be ignored.
As an in-home care service, we stress that all of the people we assist keep up with their doctors’ appointments, and this goes for dental appointments, too. Helping your parent to stay on top of their care is an important part of ensuring that they are healthy and happy as they age. Quality of life is a key part of effective senior care, and preventative care can go a long way toward keeping that as great as possible. If you have questions about your loved one’s care, it’s important that you make sure that you are in communication with your loved one’s doctors. Be sure to ask them for permission before you start inviting yourself along to appointments, and be sure that you fill out any of the privacy and disclosure forms that HIPAA requires you to.
Leave a Reply