Nursing home dental care plays a crucial role in the lives of the aged population. Dental and oral issues don’t just impact someone’s smile or how they are able to eat. It also affects other aspects of life such as overall health, especially of the older population.

Bad dental and oral hygiene has a big impact on the well-being and health of the older population. Developing oral illnesses can impact your quality of life. It can even result in severe tooth pain if the teeth aren’t taken care of. It can result in bacteria from plaque entering the body through the bloodstream and airways. This can result in heart attacks, aspiration pneumonia, poor diabetic control and lowered immune system. Dental hygiene can affect continence management. It can cause depression, delirium, impact skin integrity, and mobility and nutrition intake.

Checking your oral health

There are some recurring factors and feelings that can alert you of bad dental hygiene. Some common problems that people experience in residential aged care facilities are sore corners at the side of their mouth, thrush on the tongue, oral cancers, gum diseases, sore mouth, tooth or root decay, dry mouth, poor oral hygiene, poorly fitted dentures that need attention and so on. Residents should have their dental health and oral hygiene checked by care workers and nurses daily for any of the above signs. Everything should be documented for future mobile dental care.

Poor dental hygiene and dementia

People with dementia can struggle with people helping them to administer oral care and brush their teeth. They can lose the ability to communicate the issues they are having. This can make it hard to identify what might be causing pain. It can result in bad reactions if someone with dementia is having problems explaining his or her dental health issues. Some behaviors that could indicate pain from poor oral health include not opening their mouth, fear of being touched, not understanding directions, and hitting out or biting down on toothbrushes. It is crucial that someone with dementia is communicated with properly and the person providing oral care develops ways to access the mouth of the resident without causing pain or distress.

Keeping your mouth healthy

A consistent routine for oral health care is crucial. It makes sure that your teeth are attended to. The first step is to brush your teeth in the morning and at night with quality high-fluoride toothpaste. A soft toothbrush on gums is recommended for older people.

People with dentures are likely to develop fungal infections. They should clean their dentures often to get rid of plaque and bacteria. They should also remove their dentures before bed. They should leave cleaned dentures overnight in cold water.

Getting dental care in nursing homes

Every aged care provider should provide oral hygiene services to residents. It is a great idea to ensure you outline your care needs in your plan with the care facility. Make sure your care provider knows your dental needs to get the most from nursing home dental care.