Maintaining good oral health is important for everyone, no matter how old they are. But as seniors grow older, dental health is even more important. Keeping up with dental care can be a lot for seniors to manage, though, so home care assistance is an option that helps quite a lot. Understanding how dental health effects overall health is vital for family caregivers.
Unique Challenges in Senior Dental Needs
There are some unique challenges that seniors face when it comes to dental health. Seniors experience big changes over time as their overall health changes, and that can mean that medications and other side effects from health issues greatly impact dental health. Gum disease, tooth decay and loss, as well as diseases like oral cancer all create difficulties that seniors often have to overcome. Senior care providers can help seniors to manage these issues on a daily basis.
Dental Health and Overall Health
This is a two-way street. Poor dental health means that it’s difficult for seniors to get the nutrition that they need, especially as eating becomes more and more difficult. Finding ways to supplement nutritional needs is vital, or the problem becomes worse. When seniors aren’t able to chew their food properly, that can affect digestion. There are other issues, too. Gum disease has an impact on heart health because of inflammation. It also makes diabetes more difficult to manage. This creates a vicious cycle, with health complications causing issues that are likely to worsen dental health as well.
Social and Emotional Wellness
The pain and discomfort of dental issues is bad enough, as are the health impacts. But dental issues also cause problems with self-esteem and confidence for seniors. Aging adults who are missing teeth or who are experiencing significant dental issues are more likely to avoid other people, which can quickly turn into isolation and loneliness. Addressing dental issues can help to resolve these problems, making seniors feel more comfortable being around other people again. This helps them to get their emotional and social needs met more easily, improving confidence again.
Maintaining Dental Health in Seniors
Regular dental check-ups are a must for seniors, so it’s important to schedule them and make sure that seniors are able to get to those appointments. Daily dental care helps to ensure that teeth and mouths are as healthy as possible between dental visits. Sometimes this isn’t easy for seniors to handle on their own. Home care assistance can make sure that seniors have support with their dental care needs. Caregivers can also help seniors to get the nutrition that they need, including proper hydration.
Addressing dental health concerns quickly and thoroughly is vital for seniors and their overall well-being. When family caregivers find ways to get the help that seniors need to manage their oral health, the easier it is to keep seniors as healthy as possible. Home care assistance can take a lot of the guesswork out of managing seniors’ needs, including other support that can also bolster overall health.
IF YOU OR AN AGING LOVED ONE IS CONSIDERING HIRING HOME CARE ASSISTANCE IN LOS ALTOS, CA, PLEASE CONTACT THE CARING STAFF AT HOME HELPERS TODAY. (408) 317-4969
