One of the most critical aspects of our overall health is dental health. As you probably know, our teeth are sustainable to various damages that come with years of using them. We even tear and wear them down when sleeping and even more thanks to the chewing and other use we have for them.
With age, the condition of our teeth and mouth worsens, and we can succumb to gum disease or teeth loss. If we don’t take proper care of our teeth, the bacteria that reside in our mouth will attack the teeth that lose their protection through years enabled by enamel, which worn out with age.
As we said with age, our teeth are less and less able to protect themselves, and this is why we need to step in. Unlike a couple of decades ago, when life expectancy was lower than today’s eighty years of age, now we have more need for healthy teeth when we hit old age.
source:dentistry.uic.edu
Because of this, many elderly need to start worrying about their mouth and teeth. The best way to go is if you have healthy dental habits from a young age. By caring for your teeth during an adolescent period, you are setting yourself for the future. But if you weren’t one to care, you still have time to change your habits.
Most damage to our teeth is caused by the way we decide to live. If you are a smoker, then chances are you’ll have issues with either tooth decay and eventual loss or even oral cancer. If you are also a bit concerned about your teeth and mouth, you’d be wise to quit smoking. Other factors that have a bad influence on this part of our organism are foods and drinks rich in sugar. If you are not careful about the consumption of sugar-rich substances, you’ll fasten the decay of your gum and teeth.
Furthermore, you need to take care of your dental insurance. As you get older, many insurance houses won’t cover your dental expenses as they do not offer the same conditions to the younger population and older adults. Because of this, you are wise to take care of your teeth during the youth so you would save them for old age and avoid huge expenses. If you are not able to pay for the repair of your teeth, you’ll have to live without them during your golden years, which can drastically reduce the quality of your life.
source:dentistry.uic.edu
The health issues in our mouth are not only tied to our teeth. At dentalsolutionsalgodones.com, for example, they can fix your teeth, but what about the gum? Gum is an essential part of our mouth, and it is susceptible to a condition called the recession of the gum line. When this happens, our gum becomes thinner, and the nerves of our teeth get exposed, which leads to more sensitivity, which is followed by pain. Furthermore, our roots can also be damaged. All of this combined can lead to complete tooth loss, which is something you’ll want to avoid.
Of course, many other conditions and diseases could be caused by poor dental hygiene. Here we’re going to talk about the most significant issues you could face, and that could have been prevented if you only took care of your teeth.
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Heart Disease
source:pxhere.com
If you haven’t worried about your gums, you won’t be glad to hear that there’s a connection between gum and heart disease. If you want to prevent heart disease, strokes, and heart attacks coming from this direction, you need to take good care of your gum. Some studies even show that bad mouth has the same effect on heart disease as cholesterol.
Diabetes
source:pxhere.com
Your body is going to have issues using insulin if you start suffering from periodontitis, which is severe gum disease. If you have high levels of sugar in your blood, you can also develop some gum disease. If you want to avoid this condition, you need to visit your dentist frequently and take good care of your gum and teeth.
Root Decay
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The elderly are the age group that has the most issues with root decay. This happens when part of the lower teeth gets too exposed to the acids in our mouth that we intake through food. When the root starts to decay, our gums will also recede, which would only speed up the process of collapsing.
Pneumonia
source:elcaminohealth.org
Sometimes when older adults start suffering from pneumonia, it can be traced back to poor oral health. His happens when bacteria are abundant in their mouth, and some of it founds its way to the lungs. The best way to prevent this from happening is to take good care of your oral health. With older adults, it is also essential to notify their caregivers of this if they are not able to take care of their teeth and mouth themselves.
Darkened Teeth
source:dentagama.com
With age, our teeth are going to change their color due to all the food and drinks we intake. The dentin in our teeth weakens with age and is no longer able to maintain its white color. When the exterior part of our teeth gets penetrated by various bad influences, our yellow dentin starts showing beneath the weakened layer of enamel.
Dry Mouth
source:smartmouth.com
Senior quite often have issues with dry mouth primarily of they use some medicines or have undergone some type of cancer or leukemia treatment. One of the reasons our teeth remain healthy is the saliva, which also staves the bacteria off. When our mouth gets dry, we are more sustainable to bacteria and viruses.
Conclusion
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As you can see, it is essential to keep your mouth and teeth healthy for your overall well being. This can be achieved by brushing and flossing your teeth at least twice a day. Furthermore, you can also wash your mouth with antiseptic mouthwash a couple of times a day and switching to drinking tap water that is rich in fluoride. If you have bad habits such as smoking or eating sugary drinks and foods, you are advised to stop doing it and switch to a healthy diet instead. Also, do not forget to visit your dentist often.
