Oral cancer is more common in people older than 45 and is twice as common in men as in women. Our practitioners have found out that because older adults often have receding gums, cavities are more likely to develop at the root of the tooth. A dry mouth also causes bacteria to build up in the mouth more efficiently, leading to tooth decay.
Certain health conditions are more common in older adults and taking certain medicines can affect oral health. Your mouth changes as you age. The nerves in your teeth can become smaller, making your teeth less sensitive to cavities or other problems. If you don't get regular dental exams, this, in turn, can lead to these problems not being diagnosed until it's too late.
How to protect your teeth and gums
We advise our patients to; brush twice a day with a toothbrush with soft bristles also an electric brush is also advised, cleaning between the teeth once a day with floss or another flossing tool, if you wear full or partial dentures, remember to clean them daily ( best to remove them at night), drink tap water( since it contains fluoride which helps prevent teeth decay), quit smoking which puts you at higher risk of getting lung and other cancers) and regularly visit our dentists for complete dental checkups.
These steps can prevent many problems, but tasks that once seemed so simple can become very challenging. We offer helpful tips or different approaches on the difficulty in brushing and flossing. We also have doctors taking care of the elderly and disabled specifically. People confined in bed may have many health problems that are easy to forget about oral health. However, it is still essential because bacteria from the mouth can be inhaled into the lungs and cause pneumonia.
Oral cancer is more common in people older than 45 and is twice as common in men as in women. Our practitioners have found out that because older adults often have receding gums, cavities are more likely to develop at the root of the tooth. A dry mouth also causes bacteria to build up in the mouth more efficiently, leading to tooth decay.