As you grow older, it’s important to maintain your dental health. Making sure your teeth and mouth are healthy makes it more likely that you will keep your teeth well into your old age, but dentistry studies also show that it helps prevent other problems such as cardiovascular disease. If your teeth remain healthy, you’ll also be able to eat normally and without discomfort, ensuring that you’ll be able to maintain a nutritious diet.
Keeping Your Teeth and Mouth Healthy
As you grow older, it can become a challenge to keep up with your regular dental hygiene. Arthritis might make it harder for you to brush and floss effectively, and your teeth might be suffering from wear and tear that leads to discomfort, misalignment, or other issues that can cause long-term problems. [pullquote]As you grow older, it can become a challenge to keep up with your regular dental hygiene.[/pullquote]
Fortunately, modern dentistry provides tools that can help you maintain your regular oral hygiene schedule. If you have difficulty brushing thoroughly, consult with your dentist about a special toothbrush that is easier to maneuver. You can also use special tools to make flossing easier, such as floss picks that require much less delicate maneuvering.
Side Effects of Poor Dental Health
Not practicing good oral hygiene into your later years can have numerous detrimental effects. The most obvious, of course, is premature tooth loss due to decay, wear and tear, or gum disease. Other side effects, however, are less obvious and even more serious.
Gum disease occurs when infection develops in the gums and around the tooth roots. This creates a high level of inflammation and a buildup of the dangerous bacteria that cause the infection. If this travels to other areas of the body, it can create inflammation in the cardiovascular system, leading to cardiovascular disease and increasing the risk of stroke and heart attacks. Untreated decay could also move into the sinuses, where it could lead to brain damage and even death.
For these reasons, it is very important that you maintain your regular dental hygiene and visit your dentist on a regular basis. To find out more about taking care of your teeth into your senior years, please contact our dental team at Nicholas Kemp Dentistry to schedule an appointment.