Muscle tone fades. Six packs aren’t permanent.
The truth is out there: fitness is fleeting. But teeth? Teeth are another story.
That’s why senior dental care is so important. Your pearly whites won’t last forever, but they can stick around for a while.
Having a clean set of teeth can make all the difference in your health and confidence. On the other hand, avoiding teeth maintenance can lead to a whole lot of problems.
And that could hurt your pocket book. But not if you take the right steps.
If you follow the right path, your smile will be shiny and bright for others to see for a long time. Here’s how.
1. Eat Right
Eating healthy is an important thing we’re told to do from the time we’re little babies through the rest of our lives.
But what does that even mean? It’s changed over the years. Around a hundred years ago, the United States government released a vague guide to giving food to children.
That release eventually led to the creation of the food pyramid that might be more familiar to you. It was changed over time, but still, provides a good road map to your daily diet.
You should be eating a balanced diet of vegetables, fruit protein, and carbohydrates.
You might be asking, “will this really affect the health of my teeth?”
The answer is yes. The general guidelines to eating in a physically healthy way are important for senior dental care.
Your whole system benefits from eating healthily.
Another way of looking at eating guidelines is focusing on what you won’t eat. It’s bad to eat sugary food because they cause tooth decay.
If you avoid them, you’ll avoid painful dental procedures.
2. Fend off Unwanted Disease
Senior dental care is so important because it can prevent the spread of serious diseases and disorders.
Take dry mouth, for example.
Saliva is an essential part of our bodies, which is why dry mouth can be so uncomfortable for people. Dry mouth is an irritating lack of saliva that can lead to other problems.
Unfortunately, it affects seniors more than other people. Not everyone you know will get it, but there’s still a decent chance it affects you.
That doesn’t mean it has to. You can fend off dry mouth by having quality senior dental care for yourself. By taking care of your whole dental system, everything up there works better.
And, just as importantly, quality care helps to fend off gum disease, which can cause damage to the gum and teeth of seniors.
The stakes are high when you choose to take care of your teeth or not. But that doesn’t mean it’s hard to do so.
3. Use Mouthwash
One of the most important parts of senior dental care is mouthwash.
The concept of mouthwash has been around for a long time. Seriously, it’s been around for over two thousand years.
But that doesn’t mean it’s been the same all that time. Mouthwash has evolved over the years to be an essential component of any daily routine, especially for seniors.
Using mouthwash can eliminate bacteria in your mouth that cause other problems. It’s designed nowadays to be a simple part of your routine.
Swirl, eject, breathe deeply. That’s all there is to it.
It’s easy, quick and leaves you feeling refreshed. And it’s part of a great hygiene routine for you.
4. Floss, Floss, and Floss Again
Flossing is not exactly a new idea. In fact, it’s been around in one form or another for over two hundred years.
You probably have known about it your whole life. Your grandparents probably did it.
But do you floss? If you already do, good on you!
If you don’t, you should reconsider. The benefits of flossing have only become clearer in recent years. Flossing does a whole lot of good things for you.
The single most important component of flossing for senior dental care is the way it fends of plaque. Plaque builds up on your teeth and causes a wide range of issues.
When you don’t clean out the spaces between and on your teeth, you’re opening the door to many problems. They include tooth decay and bone break down underneath your teeth.
Plus, it causes bad breath. Nobody wants to have bad breath, particularly when you’re talking to the people you care about more than anyone else.
5. The Dentist Knows Senior Dental Care Best
There are many, many things you can do to keep care of your teeth. Seriously, it’s a daily commitment that will change your teeth, which will make you happy.
But don’t shut out the dentist! While you’re learning a lot, the dentist still knows best. Your dentist didn’t go to school for nothing.
At the dentist, you’ll have access to different a wide range of potential treatment options. Those include anxiety control, restorations, whitening and periodontics.
Plus, your dentist can advise you on things you can do for your teeth specifically. That individualized care is what makes a dentist better than others.
You might feel like your a teeth expert now, and you might not be too far off. But you’re not there yet. It’s still important to book the dentist a few times a year.
Seriously–they know a lot about teeth that nobody else does. And they’re usually pretty friendly.
Take Care of the Teeth
With the right tips, senior dental care is no longer a burden. Instead, it becomes something you do every day to create a healthier and happier you. It’s definitely a positive change for your teeth, and for you.
Dare we say it’s easy?
With a fresh set of pearly whites, you’ll stand out in this country. Nearly all Americans have experienced some kind of serious dental problem.
That means you’ll be in elite company. If you are able to take these steps now, why wouldn’t you?
If you have any more questions about taking care of your pearly whites, reach out to someone on our team. We can get you set up for a long run of clean and healthy teeth.
Keep smiling!