Multiple methods for oral cleaning
Brushing your teeth is the most basic way to clean your mouth. But for the elderly, brushing their teeth once in the morning and evening is not enough. Due to periodontal atrophy and large interdental space in the elderly, the interdental space is difficult to be cleaned in normal brushing. Therefore, toothpicks, dental floss, and interdental brushes are also needed to help clean. Many elderly people use toothpicks to floss their teeth after eating, but in fact, dental floss is also a good tool to help clean the gap between teeth. It is recommended to learn to use it proficiently.
Rinse mouth after eating
Rinsing after each meal is also a good way to clean your mouth. Rinse your mouth with warm water after each meal, especially after eating sweet and sticky foods, to remove food residues and bacteria left in the mouth by gargling to reduce the negative impact of food residues on teeth. Don’t look down on such a small step, which is very helpful to oral health.
Cleaning dentures
Elderly people who wear removable dentures should take out and clean the dentures at least twice a day, and take out the dentures before going to bed at night, put them in a cup, and soak them in a cleaning solution to remove stains and disinfect them to prevent denture stomatitis. It is recommended that the elderly must wash their teeth. Go to a regular hospital to wash their teeth once a year, which can remove plaque, calculus, pigment, etc., and can effectively reduce the occurrence of gingivitis and periodontitis.
Oral diseases that the elderly are susceptible to
Tooth wear
After long-term chewing of teeth lost in old age, enamel wear occurs. In severe cases, dentin wears. Common symptoms of tooth wear are:
1. Dentin hypersensitivity. The allergic areas or points of dentin of posterior teeth mostly occur on the occlusal surface, and most of the anterior teeth occur on the incisal margin.
2. Defects in the adjacent area of the tooth. It is often due to abrasion of hard tissues in the adjacent area, or it may break due to weak edges. The edge breakage is mostly caused by bone-containing food or the sand in the rice.
3. Lateral jaw trauma. Due to the pressure after abrasion, the alveolar bone on the compressed side is absorbed, resulting in traumatic tooth deformation.
Root caries
The gap between the teeth of the elderly is large, and it is easy for food to be impacted, which can cause root caries.
What to do with long-term oral ulcers in the elderly
Vitamins
Whether it is a single or chronic oral ulcer, vitamin B groups such as vitamin B2 and B6 are effective. Even after some people took B group for one night, the oral ulcers disappeared cleanly.
When vitamin B2 is insufficient, it can cause angular cheilitis, eye congestion, and anus ulcers, especially on the skin and mucous membranes. Vitamin B6 is related to fat metabolism. When B6 is insufficient, it can cause seborrheic dermatitis. In addition, B vitamins such as pantothenic acid and biotin (except B1) can help prevent and treat oral ulcers under mutual influence.
Prevent cancer
The cancer of oral ulcers is more common in the elderly. The characteristics of this ulcer are: the diameter is generally more than 1 cm, like a volcanic crater, the edges are raised and irregular, the center is sunken, and the surface of the depression has small granular lumps. Hard lumps can be felt around and at the bottom. Long-lasting ulcers in the mouth, often stimulated by chewing and talking, may also become cancerous. The parts that are in frequent contact with teeth are irritated by broken teeth or the sharp edges of improperly made dentures, which can easily scratch the mucosa and produce ulcers. If recurrent episodes and long-term non-healing occur, you should go to the hospital for examination in time and do pathological examinations if necessary to confirm the diagnosis.