How Seniors Can Reduce Heart Problems with Better Oral Hygiene

Seniors have a lot to worry about, so it is understandable their oral care tends to fall to the bottom of the list. Sadly, though, ignoring their oral hygiene can create even more challenges for our seniors. This is something for everyone to consider, especially those that have seniors in their family that have previously suffered from conditions such as a stroke or dementia and may not be able to maintain their oral health on their own.

With conditions such as heart-related conditions stemming directly from oral hygiene, it is imperative other family members step up for seniors unable to care for themselves or that have some challenges in doing so.

Electric Toothbrush – anyone that has used an electric toothbrush for the first time can tell you how much of a difference this will make. Those little pieces of plaque that tend to build up behind your front teeth are often blown to bits when an electric toothbrush is used. In addition, this also serves to massage the gums, loosening up food particles that would otherwise be stuck in the gum, promoting gum disease.

A secondary benefit of using a device such as this is it takes all the brainwork out of brushing teeth. Most of these devices have a timer on them, so the brush itself will let the individual know when they have brushed their teeth for two minutes and it is time to rinse.

Water Flosser – we all know how important it is to floss after meals, but how many people actually do it? Water flossers are a great way to end the day because they are able to easily remove particles from between the teeth and under the gumline. In addition, it makes flossing your wisdom and rear teeth much easier, which are often ignored with regular flossing.

Rinse After Meals – because it is unlikely for most people to carry floss, or even want to floss after a meal, get them into the habit of rinsing after they eat. A few swishes of water after the meal with do the trick until they get home and can brush.

Salt Water Rinse – just a half teaspoon of salt in their rinse water will make a big difference. This will naturally offset the pH balance of the mouth. Because of this, it will be much harder for bacteria to grow. Most seniors will also find using a rinse like this is less irritating than many of the store-bought rinses.

If you have been avoiding going to the dentist because of the high costs, consider using our New Hampshire discount dental plan for seniors. Our plan will help you save considerable money off your dental bills and is very affordable. For more information about this plan as well as our plans for families and business owners, click here.