Are you just getting to the age where you are starting to receive your senior citizen benefits? If so, it is important to pay even more attention to your dental care if you want to ensure your gums and teeth are healthy. Here are some tips to help take care of your teeth at an older age.
Find Comfortable Dental Care Techniques
You may find that a regular dental care routine is hard to do as you get older. For example, problems with arthritis will make a brushing motion very difficult or painful for you. That's why it's important to find comfortable techniques that make it possible to maintain the same level of care for your oral health.
Start by switching to a new type of dental floss. Instead of struggling to wrap dental floss around your fingers, you can use floss that has been threaded across a dental pick. Instead of having to put pressure on your fingers to get the floss between your teeth, you can even apply gentle pressure with your teeth to get the floss into position. The handle of the dental pick will also make it easier to control the floss for back and forth motions.
Your toothbrush can make all the difference as well. Consider switching to an electric toothbrush that helps move the brush head for you. It will certainly help when you have trouble moving your hand to adequate brushing. If you want to use a normal toothbrush, track down a brush with a very thick handle that makes it easier to hold.
Look For Gum Disease Signs
You are more likely to have issues with gum disease as you get older, which is why you want to know the warning signs to look out for. Pay attention to any bleeding when flossing or brushing your teeth, since it is never normal for this to happen. There may be certain trouble areas that indicate you have an issue with gum disease in its early stages. You can also have gums that look very swollen or red. Having bad breath that won't go away is another sign of gum disease.
Visit Your Dentist Regularly When You Have Dentures
Think you don't need to visit the dentists because all of your teeth are fake? Even people who wear dentures need to regularly visit the dentist. The dentist will inspect your dentures for damage, inspect your gums, and even perform x-rays to see what is going on with your jawbone. You may not have teeth, but you can still have issues that require a dentist for help.
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