Four Reasons Why Dental Health Is Important

As we get older we begin to fade away from what would be considered as our normal daily routines as our habits change over time to adapt to our new lifestyles of growing older. In particular, oral hygiene is one of the habits that we might forget. Our oral health is connected to every aspect of our body so as we get older, it’s important that we have one of our loved ones available to remind us about the importance of oral health.

Reasons why dental health is important for seniors

Heart disease

Research has suggested that there is a core link between gum disease and heart disease. This is because the presence of common problems in the mouth such as missing teeth, conjunctivitis and gum disease are truer indicators of heart disease compared to testing cholesterol levels. It also found that patients who suffer from periodontal disease are almost twice as likely to suffer from artery or heart disease.

Diabetes

High blood sugar levels are naturally a true sign of diabetes, and if too much sugar is absorbed by the body it can easily lead to gum disease. Severe levels of gum disease formed in the mouth can hinder the body’s ability to use insulin which manages the levels of sugar in the body. By having regular check ups and maintaining proper dental care, it can help prevent this from happening.

Discolouration

As we age, our eating habits tend to change and diet’s become different. This means the tooth enamel in our mouth can change too and thin out over time. This makes your teeth more at risk of becoming discoloured and becoming yellow or darkened.
Root decay
Tooth roots naturally become vulnerable to the exposure of food acids as we get older. This is because the gum tissue begins to recede from the tooth and teeth become less protected from decay that can form. This is why it’s extremely important that we watch what we eat as we get older as it can impact our oral health heavily.

How senior dental health care can improve

As a standard procedure, it’s important that you brush at least twice a day and floss every day to maintain your oral health. However, there’s more to maintaining dental health than just these tips. Here are other guidelines that are important to follow:

– Use an electric toothbrush as it’s more effective to a traditional brush
– Visit your dentist Warrington-based regularly
– Clean your dentures on a daily basis if you wear full or partial dentures
– Drink plenty of water
– Avoid smoking
– Eat a healthy well-balanced diet

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