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Taking Care of Your Teeth and Mouth Nomatter what your age, you need to take care of your teeth and mouth. When yourmouth is healthy, you can easily eat the foods you need for good nutrition.Smiling, talking, and laughing with others also are easier when your mouth ishealthy. Teethare meant to last a lifetime. By taking good care of your teeth and gums, youcan protect them for years to come. Tooth decay is not just a problem forchildren. It can happen as long as you have natural teeth in your mouth. Toothdecay ruins the enamel that covers and protects your teeth. When you don’ttake good care of your mouth, bacteria can cling to your teeth and form asticky, colorless film called dental plaque. This plaque can lead to tooth decayand cavities. Gum disease can also cause your teeth to decay. Fluorideis just as helpful for adults as it is for children. Using a fluoride toothpasteand mouth rinse can help protect your teeth. If you have a problem withcavities, your dentist or dental hygienist may give you a fluoride treatmentduring the office visit. The dentist also may prescribe a fluoride gel or mouthrinse for you to use at home. Gumdiseases (sometimes called periodontal or gingival diseases) are infections thatharm the gum and bone that hold teeth in place. When plaque stays on your teethtoo long, it forms a hard, harmful covering, called tartar, that brushingdoesn’t clean. The longer the plaque and tartar stay on your teeth, the moredamage they cause. Your gums may become red, swollen, and bleed easily. This iscalled gingivitis. Ifgingivitis is not treated, over time it can make your gums pull away from yourteeth and form pockets that can get infected. This is called periodontitis. Ifnot treated, this infection can ruin the bones, gums, and tissue that supportyour teeth. In time, it can cause loose teeth that your dentist may have toremove. Here’show you can prevent gum disease: ¨ Brushyour teeth twice a day (with a fluoride toothpaste). ¨ Flossonce a day. ¨ Makeregular visits to your dentist for a checkup and cleaning. ¨ Eata well-balanced diet. ¨ Don’tuse tobacco products. CleaningYour Teeth and Gums Knowinghow to brush and floss the right way is a big part of good oral health. Here’show: every day gently brush your teeth on all sides with a soft-bristle brushand fluoride toothpaste. Small round motions and short back-and-forth strokeswork best. Take the time to brush carefully and gently along the gum line.Lightly brushing your tongue also helps. Along with brushing, clean aroundyour teeth with dental floss to keep your gums healthy.
Yourdentist also may prescribe a bacteria-fighting mouth rinse to help controlplaque and swollen gums. Use the mouth rinse in addition to careful dailybrushing and flossing. Some people with arthritis or other conditions that limitmotion may find it hard to hold a toothbrush. It may help to attach thetoothbrush handle to your hand with a wide elastic band. Some people make thehandle bigger by taping it to a sponge or Styrofoam ball. People with limitedshoulder movement may find brushing easier if they attach a long piece of woodor plastic to the handle. Electric toothbrushes can be helpful. Oralirrigators (Waterpiks) in conjuction with a anticeptic mouthwashs are alsohighly recommended http://www.waterpik.com http://www.hydrofloss.com http://www.oxyfresh.com Dentures Dentures(sometimes called false teeth) may feel strange at first. When you are learningto eat with them, it may be easier if you: ¨ Startwith soft non-sticky food; ¨ Cutyour food into small pieces; and ¨ Chewslowly using both sides of your mouth. Denturesmay make your mouth less sensitive to hot foods and liquids. They also may makeit harder for you to notice harmful objects such as bones, so be careful. Duringthe first few weeks you have dentures, your dentist may want to see you often tomake sure they fit. Over time, your mouth changes and your dentures may need tobe replaced or adjusted. Be sure to let your dentist handle these adjustments. Keepyour dentures clean and free from food that can cause stains, bad breath, orswollen gums. Once a day, brush all surfaces with a denture care product. Whenyou go to sleep, take your dentures out of your mouth and put them in water or adenture cleansing liquid. Takecare of partial dentures the same way. Because bacteria can collect under theclasps (clips) that hold partial dentures, be sure to carefully clean that area. Dentalimplants are small metal pieces placed in the jaw to hold false teeth or partialdentures in place. They are not for everyone. You need a complete dental andmedical checkup to find out if implants are right for you. Your gums must behealthy and your jawbone able to support the implants. Talk to your dentist tofind out if you should think about dental implants. Doctorsused to think that dry mouth (xerostomia) was a normal part of aging. They nowknow that’s not true. Older, healthy adults shouldn’t have a problem withsaliva. Drymouth happens when salivary glands don’t work properly. This can make it hardto eat, swallow, taste, and even speak. Dry mouth also can add to the risk oftooth decay and infection. You can get dry mouth from many diseases or medicaltreatments, such as head and neck radiation therapy. Many common medicines alsocan cause dry mouth. Ifyou think you have dry mouth, talk with your dentist or doctor to find out why.If your dry mouth is caused by a medicine you take, your doctor might changeyour medicine or dosage. Toprevent the dryness, drink extra water. Cut back on sugary snacks, drinks thathave caffeine or alcohol, and tobacco. Your dentist or doctor also might suggestthat you keep your mouth wet by using artificial saliva, which you can get frommost drug stores. Some people benefit from sucking hard candy. http://www.laclede.com http://www.parnellpharm.com/ http://www.thayers.com/ Oralcancer most often occurs in people over age 40. It’s important to catch oralcancer early, because treatment works best before the disease has spread. Painoften is not an early symptom of the disease. Adental check-up is a good time for your dentist to look for early signs of oralcancer. Even if you have lost all your natural teeth, you should still see yourdentist for regular oral cancer exams. See your dentist or doctor if you havetrouble with swelling, numbness, sores, or lumps in your mouth, or if it becomes hard for you to chew, swallow, or move yourjaw or tongue. These problems could be signs of oral cancer. Here’show you can lower your risk of getting oral cancer: don’t smoke; don’t usesnuff or chew tobacco; if you drink alcohol, do so in moderation; use lip creamwith sunscreen; and eat lots of fruits and vegetables.
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