Dental Care for Seniors

Daily Oral Hygiene Care for Seniors

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It is said that “oral health is a window to your overall health” ¹. The mouth is the entry to the digestive tract, but also to the respiratory tract for breathing. Just like the body, the mouth is full of bacteria. Most of the bacteria is harmless, but sometimes can lead to disease throughout the body. Without good oral hygiene, bacteria can lead to levels that might provide a route to other infections ¹. Maintaining oral health as a senior in a long term care facility can present new challenges.

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Maintaining good oral health as a senior includes routine regular checkups by seeing a dentist and hygienist for regular cleanings and examination; but it doesn’t stop there. Proper oral hygiene daily is critical to improvements of your oral health. As we get older, modifications in the way we care for our mouth and teeth need to be considered with seniors. These modifications can impact overall dental health. Poor daily oral health care can lead to pain, infection, malnutrition, and serious illness ².

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Maintaining good oral health not only prevents tooth loss and gum disease, but helps systemic health which includes cardiovascular health, diabetes management, and quality of life.  One of the biggest hindrances with seniors' oral health is sufficient daily oral hygiene care. Many nursing home residents are unable to brush their own teeth or properly clean dentures themselves. This task relies on the caregivers and nursing assistants providing this care ³.

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Incorporation of daily dental care into the routine can be essential for maintaining the well being of a nursing home resident or senior you help care for daily. Ensuring daily oral hygiene in combination with professional dental check ups can help reduce risk of aspiration pneumonia, reduce healthcare cost, prevent pain and discomfort, and can enhance nutrition for seniors ³.

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Brushing teeth or gums twice daily with a soft bristled toothbrush and use of fluoride toothpaste can improve overall dental health. Flossing or picks daily are also recommended to remove food build up between the teeth where a toothbrush cannot reach. These daily practices can be challenging though in a nursing care or assisted living facility. With seniors; dexterity can be limited with arthritis, limited motion, or access to areas in the mouth ⁴.

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Tips to Help with Hygiene when Caring for Seniors

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1. A small amount of fluoride toothpaste and use of a small toothbrush head can make it easier to reach the back teeth.
2. Changing to a smaller toothbrush size or use of an electric tooth brush can improve adequate plaque removal.
3. Use of a floss pick or water flosser can improve health when the use of traditional floss and tooth brush are limited.
4. The bristles of the tooth brush need to be angled toward the gumline so they clean between the gums and teeth. Some common areas of food debris build up are at the gum level. Making sure that you are brushing all surfaces of the teeth. Brushing all sides of each tooth and the tongue will help remove the bacterial build up ⁴.
5. Brush gently using small circular motions or use an electric tooth brush.
6. Dry mouth can be a common issue with long term care seniors. Addressing this condition can help prevent discomfort and improve oral hygiene. Using over the counter saliva gels, spays, or rinses can help with the dry mouth relief ⁵.
7. Clean dentures daily. Denture cleaning also includes soaking the denture nightly with a denture cleaning solution. Using a soft-bristled brush and a non-abrasive denture cleanser will help keep dentures from building up a biofilm and avoid infections in the mouth.

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Resources

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1. Mayo Clinic (2024 Mar 14) Oral Health: A window to your overall health. By Mayo Clinic Staff.
2. University of Kentucky Dental School. (2021 Dec 14) Poor Oral Health among nursing home residents can lead to pain, infection, malnutrition, and serious illness.
3. Journal of Personalized Medicine. (2022 Feb 28 ) Health among Elderly, Impact on Life Quality, Access of Elderly Patients to Oral Health Services and Methods to Improve Oral Health: A Narrative Reviewers Med 12(3):372.
4. National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (2018) Oral Health and Aging, Information for care givers.
5. American Dental Association, (2018) Managing xerostomia in the elderly population. Journal of American Dental Association, 148 (4) 292-295