SENIORS: HOW TO PREVENT ORAL CONDITIONS

Life expectancy is growing and people over 65 years exceeds 16% of the population in Spain. It is of crucial importance to take care of our oral health through the years, since our teeth are something to keep for all our lives and their health depend on our quality of life.

Elderly people tend to suffer more oral problems than other sectors of the population. For example, there is a greater loss of tooth enamel in elderly people, which can lead to other conditions, such as caries or periodontal diseases; these problems can be prevented if paying attention to other signs (bleeding gums o halitosis) and visiting the dentist regularly.

Another common oral condition extended among elderly people is deficient salivation, which is essential for moisturizing the oral cavity. A lack of saliva can cause caries and teeth sensitivity, among others.

It is quite remarkable the fact that many elderly people use dental prosthesis, which requires a thorough cleaning that most tend to forget. This can be solved by brushing your teeth as usual and using other specific and complementary products for its proper hygiene, such as mouthwash.

In order to avoid complications, elderly people need to do the following: take a greater care of their oral health, drink water to stay adequately hydrated, avoid having sugary drinks/food, avoid smoking and drinking alcohol and of course, visit the dentist regularly.

It should be noted that many other common diseases in elderly people, such as diabetes, can end up affecting their oral health. Thus, it is important to take seriously all the aforesaid.

In essence, we cannot avoid growing old, but we can do it in the healthiest way possible. This way, we would be able to enjoy a higher quality of life.