Elderly people who are 60 years and over will experience changes in their physical health conditions which also occur in dental and oral health conditions. This certainly has the potential to interfere with mastication (eating), pronunciation (speaking) and appearance (aesthetics).
Dental and oral care performed during the elderly, either independently at home or at the dentist's practice, is different from other ages. This difference can occur due to the decreased ability of the elderly to take care of dental and oral hygiene optimally and the reduced independence to visit the dentist's practice.
Some of the most frequently encountered problems include:
- Loss of Teeth
Most of the elderly have complaints that their toothless condition makes it difficult for them to chew (eat) and they lack self-confidence due to the decrease in the beauty of their smile (aesthetics). Besides that, tooth loss, especially in the front area, makes it difficult for the elderly to communicate (talk) with other people due to unclear pronunciation. This occurs due to damage and loose teeth that lead to tooth extraction.
- Cavity
Cavities can occur due to the reduced ability of the elderly to clean/brush their teeth which results in very annoying tooth pain and tooth decay that is large enough so that fillings cannot be done again. Cavities with sharp edges also have the potential to cause trauma in the mouth such as canker sores and recurring wounds, making it difficult for the elderly to eat.
- Loose Teeth
Our teeth can last and be used for life, but the presence of tartar that is rarely or never cleaned and the excessive use of some teeth can make them shake due to the loss of many other teeth. The lack of independence of the elderly to visit the dentist's practice makes them unable to carry out periodic dental examinations and treatments.
In order to prevent or minimize dental and oral disease in the elderly, make sure you apply proper and correct methods of caring for your teeth and mouth, in the following ways:
- Maintain regular and thorough dental and oral hygiene
The elderly need to realize that brushing their teeth and cleaning the mouth area is a need for self-care, so it needs to be done regularly, every day after breakfast and before going to bed and thoroughly. Patience and thoroughness in brushing teeth is needed as a support for decreasing the agility of elderly hand movements. Using mouthwash can also be done to complement efforts to clean the mouth as a whole from bacteria and fungi that are not reached by brushing your teeth.
- Use and take care for dentures every day
Using dentures can help the elderly to chew better, speak more clearly, and look more attractive. However, these dentures, especially those that are removable, need to be cleaned every day at least once before going to bed while brushing their teeth, also with a sufficient amount of toothbrush and toothpaste. This is really to prevent the accumulation of bacteria and fungi that can cause infection / inflammation in the soft tissues in the mouth.
- Visit the dentist's office regularly
At least once every 6 months, the elderly need to go to the dentist for treatment and get advice on maintaining healthy teeth and mouth. Cleaning tartar (scaling) must be done in order to prevent loose teeth, heal gums that bleed easily and overcome bad breath. Filling cavities needs to be completed immediately so that tooth pain one day can be avoided.
Family support is very meaningful for the elderly in maintaining health and caring for their teeth and mouth area. Assistance that can be provided includes:
- Help schedule visits to the dentist's office regularly and accompany him when needed.
- Reminds to brush his teeth and clean his dentures every day.
- The most important thing is to listen to the complaints of the elderly when they feel discomfort or pain in their teeth or mouth area so that they can be dealt with immediately independently followed by examination and treatment at the dentist's practice.
This is an explanation of how to treat dental and oral health in the elderly, hopefully it can provide enlightenment for the creation of optimal health in the elderly.
To consult further about your dental and oral health, you can consult a Dentist at EMC Sentul Hospital.
Article written by drg. Ewaldo, MM, MH (Dentist at EMC Sentul Hospital).