The need for excellent oral hygiene — including self-care habits like brushing and flossing your teeth — has no age limits. You’re never too young or too old to benefit from properly caring for your teeth.
However, seniors have even more reason than most to prioritize dental self care and regular visits to the dentist because of the impact oral health can have on overall health. At a time in life when the frequency and severity of health issues tends to increase anyway, the fact that caring for your teeth can help identify and even prevent other serious conditions is important food for thought.
How oral health and systemic health are related
There is a well-established connection between your oral health and systemic health. For example, in a study published by the American Heart Association, individuals who had regular dental examinations were found to have a 24 percent lower risk of heart disease and a 14 percent lower risk of stroke. Poor oral health has also been linked with high blood pressure, diabetes, and some forms of cancer. Additionally, oral infections have proven harmful when left untreated, as they tend to travel to other parts of the body, including the lungs, brain, and heart.
Logically, maintaining excellent oral hygiene — with a good dental self-care routine, and seeing a dental professional every six months — can help ensure that oral health issues are caught and treated soon enough to mitigate the risk of them spreading. At the same time, systemic health issues that can be diagnosed during a dental examination are also caught and treated early on. Doing so improves the success of treatment in almost all cases.
To illustrate the value of oral health for seniors, the next section describes how dental self care plays a role in some of the most common illnesses affecting seniors today.
Dental self care and senior illness
The following are some of the most serious health issues facing seniors today. Interestingly, some of them include symptoms that patients may first notice while brushing or flossing their teeth. They’re also all conditions that a dentist could potentially diagnose during the routine examination that accompanies a semiannual cleaning. In some cases, a dental diagnosis will occur before the patient or their physician are aware of any symptoms.
Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia
Scientists continue to research the seemingly two-way connection between oral health and dementia, and the evidence of that connection is compelling. One study following over 5,000 elderly patients for 18 years concluded that individuals who failed to brush their teeth at least once a day had a 65-percent higher chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
Long before symptoms become highly visible, your dentist can diagnose early signs of dementia by noting a an elderly patient’s oral health deteriorating. That’s because one of the first behavioral changes dementia brings is difficulty remembering simple daily routines, like brushing your teeth. When an elderly patient who’s always cared for their teeth suddenly stops doing so, it could be a sign they are forgetting.
Heart disease and stroke
"One study following over 5,000 elderly patients for 18 years concluded that individuals who failed to brush their teeth at least once a day had a 65 percent higher chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia."
Your mouth is one of the top sources of bacteria in your body, and the heart and blood vessels are highly vulnerable to bacterial infection.
Not surprisingly, numerous studies have linked gum disease with an increased risk of heart attack and coronary artery disease. Bacterial infections that begin in the teeth and gums have been known to easily spread to other parts of the body via the blood vessels.
In many cases, the first sign of an infection in a tooth or gum is pain or discomfort while eating, drinking, brushing or flossing. The sooner the infection is diagnosed and treated, the lower the chances of complications down the road.
Diabetes
Periodontal disease is a common symptom of diabetes, and one that patients with diabetes need to be aware of.
Even prior to a diagnosis, however, loose teeth, inflamed gums, and unexplained bleeding in the mouth are all possible indications of diabetes. Dentists are always on the lookout for these telltale signs and will recommend a checkup immediately if diabetes is a possibility.
Again, periodontal disease is often first noted by the patient while brushing or flossing their teeth. In some cases, however, gum disease can be painless, in which case the patient would need to see the red, puffy gum line to notice the issue.
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is most common among older women, causing bone deterioration that can eventually become dangerous and debilitating. If it’s caught early enough, treatment is highly successful.
While the disease does not weaken the teeth directly, it does affect the jaw bones that support the teeth and gums. The resulting loss of strength or increased fragility in the bone surrounding the teeth may result in pain or discomfort before larger bones elsewhere in the body have succumbed. As the disease progresses, the patient or dentist may also note otherwise healthy teeth loosening or gum lines receding.
Other conditions that dentists can diagnose during a general examination include:
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- Anorexia
- Bulimia
- Dry mouth (a common symptom in many serious disorders including Parkinson’s disease)
- Teeth grinding
- Anemia
- Oral cancer
There’s no doubt that dental self care and routine dental visits play a vital role in maintaining senior health. But what, exactly, is involved in effective dental self care?
Excellent oral self-care habits
Proper oral health self care is simple and inexpensive routine to maintain. It requires having just a few simple supplies on hand and using them regularly:
- Brush your teeth at least twice a day with a soft-bristled brush and quality toothpaste.
- Brush for at least two minutes each time, being careful to spend time on every surface of each tooth.
- Floss properly between your teeth at least once each day or anytime you notice food particles lodged between teeth.
- Rinse at least once each day with an antibacterial mouthwash.
Some seniors may find it difficult to manipulate a manual toothbrush or standard dental floss due to arthritis or other disabilities. In those cases, electric toothbrushes, water picks, and other appliances can usually help them maintain excellent oral health habits.
While genetics plays a role in how strong and healthy your teeth are, self-care habits like proper brushing, flossing, and rinsing have a much greater impact on whether or not seniors will face serious oral and systemic health issues late in life. For more tips on maintaining your health as you age, visit our blog. Looking for ways to save on dental care? Seniors can save 20-50 percent on dental visits by using a dental discount card.
