Sometimes, there are overlooked parts of senior health. Dental hygiene is one of those areas that gets passed by.
Dental care gets passed by when it comes to senior health because it doesn’t always seem that important. When you think about some of the big issues that senior citizens face like dementia, heart disease, diabetes, disability, and cancer, making sure that you’re also taking care of your teeth might seem like a minor issue.
But it’s not. Dental hygiene is vital for overall health. It prevents dental diseases like cavities and gum disease, reducing the risk of tooth loss and bad breath. Good oral care can lower the risk of more serious diseases, including cardiovascular issues and diabetes. It improves overall health by preventing pain, discomfort, and difficulty eating associated with dental problems. Investing in preventive dental care early on in life is cost effective, avoiding expensive treatments later on. Practicing dental hygiene helps to ensure a healthy smile, but it also contributes to a higher quality of life and well-being.
Although it’s important to do, not everyone is able to take good care of their teeth.
There are challenges to taking care of your teeth as you age. Memory and cognitive issues can make remembering to brush your teeth two times a day pretty difficult. Arthritis can make it hard to hold a toothbrush for the length of time that it takes to adequately clean your teeth. Additionally, many seniors don’t have all of their teeth. Many wear dentures, creating a new set of challenges for dental hygiene. Just because someone doesn’t have teeth doesn’t mean that there are not things that need to be done to help maintain good oral health.
In-home care can help with this. Not only can a professional caregiver help with reminders about taking care of oral hygiene, they can also help with transportation to and from preventative care appointments and help create routines and habits that encourage healthy habits.
In-home care is about so much more than supervision and getting someone through the day safely. It’s about making sure that the family receiving care is thriving as they get through their days. It’s about helping seniors to feel like they are getting parts of their life back. It’s about making daily life better.
We’re here to help. We specialize in in-home care. This places an emphasis on helping seniors with their unique needs right where they are. It’s not ideal for everyone, but for those that it benefits, it can go a long way toward helping them live a higher quality of life, find more meaning in the things that they do, and stay connected to the world around them.
Really, dental health is a small component in what professional in-home care is capable of accomplishing. In-home care is designed to help with total overall health. This includes dental health, but it also includes better diet, companionship, a higher likelihood to get exercise in, better connections with medical providers, and more.
If you have questions, please feel free to reach out. We’re always happy to help.
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