Is it time for your senior parent to get a dental cleaning? If they haven’t had one yet this year, it’s time. October is National Dental Hygiene Awareness Month, and it’s a great time to call and schedule a dental cleaning for your parent. Dental hygiene is an important part of staying healthy, especially for seniors. If your senior parent is having trouble brushing their teeth or keeping up with other hygiene tasks, personal care at home providers can help. Personal care at home is compassionate care and support for seniors who need a little extra help with tasks like showering, daily washing up, brushing their teeth, and getting dressed.
Why Dental Hygiene Is So Important
Good dental hygiene for seniors is essential for good health. Personal care at home can assist with their hygiene habits. In addition to keeping their remaining natural teeth healthy, dental hygiene can prevent infections that can lead to serious health problems. That’s why it’s recommended that seniors get a professional dental cleaning at least once a year. If your senior parent had diabetes, they should be getting dental cleanings twice a year.
Good dental hygiene helps seniors avoid health problems like:
Gum Disease
One of the main reasons seniors need regular dental cleanings is to prevent gum disease. Plaque builds up along the gumline, and if it’s not cleaned regularly, it can lead to gingivitis, and then periodontitis, a serious infection that damages the gums and bone.
Gum disease can lead to tooth loss and make eating painful. Studies have also shown that gum infections are linked to heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, because the bacteria from the mouth can travel through the bloodstream and affect other parts of the body. Regular cleanings remove plaque and tartar before they cause serious problems.
Tooth Decay
Seniors have a high risk of tooth decay. Many older adults have dry mouth, often caused by medications or health conditions. Without enough saliva, the mouth can’t wash away food particles and bacteria, making it easier for cavities to form.
Regular dental cleanings remove the plaque that causes decay and allow the dentist to spot small cavities before they become painful or lead to infection. Catching problems early means less pain, easier treatment, and a lower chance of losing teeth. Keeping natural teeth healthy also helps seniors eat comfortably and enjoy a better quality of life.
Overall Poor Health
Poor oral hygiene can contribute to serious health conditions like heart disease, lung infections, diabetes complications, and even Alzheimer’s disease.
For example, bacteria from gum disease can enter the bloodstream and cause inflammation in other organs. In seniors with diabetes, gum disease can make it harder to control blood sugar levels. Regular dental cleanings help keep harmful bacteria under control, lowering the risk of these health problems.
Pain and Tooth Loss
Neglecting dental care can lead to painful problems like infections, abscesses, or loose teeth. These issues make it difficult to chew, speak, or enjoy meals. In severe cases, untreated dental problems can lead to tooth loss, which affects nutrition and self-esteem.
Regular cleanings allow the dentist to find small issues before they turn into big ones. Professional cleaning removes tartar that can’t be brushed away at home and keeps teeth strong. The goal is to prevent pain and keep your natural teeth healthy for as long as possible.
Oral Cancer
During a dental cleaning, the hygienist and dentist also check for signs of oral cancer, infections, and other diseases that can develop in the mouth. Early detection is critical because oral cancer can spread quickly if not caught in time.
Schedule A Dental Cleaning Today
With the help of personal care at home aides, make it a habit to schedule a dental cleaning for your senior parent every October, and that will make it easier to remember to get them to the dentist for a professional cleaning every year.
If you or an aging loved one is considering Personal Care at Home Services in Westfield, NJ, please get in touch with the caring staff at Helping Hands Homecare today. Call (908) 418-4299
Helping Hands Homecare provides Senior Home Care Services throughout Northern and Central New Jersey, including Clark, Westfield, Cranford, Scotch Plains, Rahway, Linden, Summit, Edison, Elizabeth, Mountainside, Short Hills, Millburn, New Providence, Berkeley Heights, Kenilworth, Chatham, Madison, Metuchen, and surrounding areas.
After graduating from Seton Hall University with a BS in finance Helping Hands Homecare’s Owner / President, Robert D’Arienzo, went to work on Wall St. for six years. However, after Robert’s grandmother became ill with stomach cancer Robert and his family needed to find assistance in the home for her. After many trials and tribulations Robert could see that there was a great need for quality home care services here in NJ and loved the idea of being able to assist other families who were going through what his family went through with his beloved grandmother.
Thus, Robert had found his passion. After almost a year of preparation Robert opened Helping Hands Homecare in 2003. Robert wanted Helping Hands Homecare to focus on providing the highest quality of caregivers, exceptional customer service, and providing a service that familys could depend on in their time of need. Since then Helping Hands has assisted hundreds of individuals with the simplest of needs to more complex cases while preserving those standards set out many years ago.
Robert is a Google Verified Author
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