Healthy Habits Adults Over 60

Brush and Floss Daily

Brushing and flossing your teeth is just as important for you as it is for your grandchildren. Even though it may have been years since you've had a cavity, your risk of cavities increases with age. One of the reasons is dry mouth—a common side effect of many prescription medications.

Brush your teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste. Choose a toothbrush with soft bristles and a small head to get to those hard to reach areas. Replace your toothbrush every three or four months, or sooner if the bristles becomes frayed. If you have arthritis or other condition that limits movement, try an electric toothbrush.

Clean between teeth daily with floss. If floss is too difficult to work with, try a floss pick or tiny brushes made specifically to clean between teeth.

When you’re buying oral care products, look for the ADA Seal of Acceptance. The ADA Seal has been around since 1931, and when you see it on a package you can trust that the product is safe and does what the manufacturer advertises.


Clean Dentures Daily 
Bacteria stick to your teeth and also to full or partial dentures. If you wear dentures, remember to clean them on a daily basis with cleaners made specifically for dentures. Do not use toothpastes for natural teeth or household cleaners, which are too abrasive and can damage dentures that can be expensive to replace.
Take your dentures out of your mouth for at least four hours every 24 hours to keep the lining of your mouth healthy. It’s best to remove your full or partial dentures at night. Your dentist will provide you with instructions about how long your dentures should be worn each day.

Visit a Dentist Regularly

Get regular dental checkups at least once a year – please do not wait until you have pain. Why? As you age, the nerves inside your teeth become smaller and less sensitive. By the time you feel pain from a cavity, it may be too late and you may lose your tooth. There are also more serious conditions that your dentist will look for, like oral cancer and gum disease, which do not always cause pain until the advanced stages of the disease. By then, it’s more difficult and costly to treat.
When you go to your dentist for a check-up bring the following information:

List of medications, including vitamins, herbal remedies, and over-the-counter medications
List of medical conditions and allergies
Information and phone numbers of all health care providers, doctors, and your previous dentist
Information about your emergency contacts, someone who can help make decisions on your behalf in the case of a medical emergency
Dental insurance or Medicaid cards
Your dentures or partials, even if you don’t wear them
Be sure to talk with your dentist about how to properly secure and dispose of any unused, unwanted or expired medications, especially if there are any children in the household. Also, take the time to talk with your children and/or grandchildren about the dangers of using prescription drugs for non-medical purposes.

If you don’t currently have a dentist, you can search for one at ADA® Find-a-Dentist™. Simply put in your address for a list of ADA member dentists near your home.

Are you over 60 or the caregiver of an older adult in need of dental care? Visit Oral Health America's Tooth Wisdom for a list of the resources available in your state.

Drink Water with Fluoride

No matter what age you are, drinking water with fluoride helps prevent tooth decay. Fluoride is nature’s cavity fighter. Many community water systems contain added fluoride, but if you prefer bottled water, check the label because some do not contain fluoride. And, some home water filters remove fluoride from the tap water. Visit the ADA Seal product search page for a list of water filters that do not remove fluoride from tap water.



                                                     

Quit Smoking

It’s never too late to quit smoking. Smoking increases problems with gum disease, tooth decay and tooth loss. It also slows down healing after dental procedures and can decrease the success rate of dental implants. Talk to your dentist about quitting. There are tobacco cessation programs, over-the counter products and prescription medications that your dentist may prescribe or recommend to help you quit for good. Smokefree.gov is another good resource to help you quit today.


this article appeared on ADA mouthhealthy.org

Gum Disease

Gum disease is an infection of the tissues that surround and support your teeth. It is a major cause of tooth loss in adults. Because gum disease is usually painless, you may not know you have it. Also referred to as periodontal disease, gum disease is caused by plaque, the sticky film of bacteria that is constantly forming on our teeth.

Here are some warning signs that can signal a problem:

* gums that bleed easily
* red, swollen, tender gums
* gums that have pulled away from the teeth
* persistent bad breath or bad taste
* permanent teeth that are loose or separating
* any change in the way your teeth fit together when you bite
* any change in the fit of partial dentures

Some factors increase the risk of developing gum disease. They are:

* poor oral hygiene
* smoking or chewing tobacco
* genetics
* crooked teeth that are hard to keep clean
* pregnancy
* diabetes
* medications, including steroids, certain types of anti-epilepsy drugs, cancer therapy drugs, some      calcium channel blockers and oral contraceptives

See your dentist if you suspect you have gum disease because the sooner you treat it the better!

The early stage of gum disease is called gingivitis. If you have gingivitis, your gums may become red, swollen and bleed easily. At this stage, the disease is still reversible and can usually be eliminated by a professional cleaning at your dental office, followed by daily brushing and flossing.

Advanced gum disease is called periodontitis. Chronic periodontitis can lead to the loss of tissue and bone that support the teeth and it may become more severe over time. If it does, your teeth will feel loose and start moving around in your mouth. This is the most common form of periodontitis in adults but can occur at any age. It usually gets worse slowly, but there can be periods of rapid progression.

Aggressive periodontitis is a highly destructive form of periodontal disease that occurs in patients who are otherwise healthy. Common features include rapid loss of tissue and bone and may occur in some areas of the mouth, or in the entire mouth.

Research between systemic diseases and periodontal diseases is ongoing. While a link is not conclusive, some studies indicate that severe gum disease may be associated with several other health conditions such as diabetes or stroke.

It is possible to have gum disease and have no warning signs.
That is one reason why regular dental checkups and periodontal examinations are very important. Treatment methods depend upon the type of disease and how far the condition has progressed. Good dental care at home is essential to help keep periodontal disease from becoming more serious or recurring.

Remember: You don’t have to lose teeth to gum disease. Brush your teeth twice a day, clean between your teeth daily, eat a balanced diet, and schedule regular dental visits for a lifetime of healthy smiles.


This article first appeared on MouthHealthy.org, an A.D.A. website

Dentures

Dentures are removable appliances that can replace missing teeth and help restore your smile. If you’ve lost all of your natural teeth, whether from gum disease, tooth decay or injury, replacing missing teeth will benefit your appearance and your health. That’s because dentures make it easier to eat and speak better than you could without teeth—things that people often take for granted.

When you lose all of your teeth, facial muscles can sag, making you look older. Dentures can help fill out the appearance of your face and profile. They can be made to closely resemble your natural teeth so that your appearance does not change much. Dentures may even improve the look of your smile.

Types of dentures:

Conventional.
 This full removable denture is made and placed in your mouth after the remaining teeth are removed and tissues have healed, which may take several months.

Immediate.
This removable denture is inserted on the same day that the remaining teeth are removed. Your dentist will take measurements and make models of your jaw during a preliminary visit. You don’t have to be without teeth during the healing period, but may need to have the denture relined or remade after your jaw has healed.

Overdenture.
 Sometimes some of your teeth can be saved to preserve your jawbone and provide stability and support for the denture. An overdenture fits over a small number of remaining natural teeth after they have been prepared by your dentist. Implants can serve the same function, too.

New dentures may feel awkward for a few weeks until you become accustomed to them. The dentures may feel loose while the muscles of your cheek and tongue learn to keep them in place. It is not unusual to experience minor irritation or soreness. You may find that saliva flow temporarily increases. As your mouth becomes accustomed to the dentures, these problems should go away.

Follow-up appointments with the dentist are generally needed after a denture is inserted so the fit can be checked and adjusted. If any problem persists, particularly irritation or soreness, be sure to consult your dentist.

Even if you wear full dentures, you still have to practice good dental hygiene.
Brush your gums, tongue and roof of your mouth every morning with a soft-bristled brush before you insert your dentures to stimulate circulation in your tissues and help remove plaque.

Like your teeth, your dentures should be brushed daily to remove food particles and plaque. Brushing also can help keep the teeth from staining.

Rinse your dentures before brushing to remove any loose food or debris.

Use a soft bristle toothbrush and a non-abrasive cleanser to gently brush all the surfaces of the dentures so they don't get scratched.

When brushing, clean your mouth thoroughly—including your gums, cheeks, roof of your mouth and tongue to remove any plaque. This can help reduce the risk of oral irritation and bad breath.

When you’re not wearing your dentures, put them in a safe place covered in water to keep them from warping.

Occasionally, denture wearers may use adhesives. Adhesives come in many forms: creams, powders, pads/wafers, strips or liquids. If you use one of these products, read the instructions, and use them exactly as directed. Your dentist can recommend appropriate cleansers and adhesives; look for products with the ADA Seal of Acceptance. Products with the ADA Seal have been evaluated for safety and effectiveness.

If you have any questions about your dentures, or if they stop fitting well or become damaged, contact your dentist. Be sure to schedule regular dental checkups, too. The dentist will examine your mouth to see if your dentures continue to fit properly.


This article first appeared on MouthHealthy.org, an A.D.A. website.

Chewing tobacco, boys and baseball

Likely users of chewing tobacco are teenage boys who play baseball. But no matter who is using it, chewing tobacco and other forms of smokeless tobacco can harm oral health.

According to the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD), children, especially boys, may begin using chewing tobacco as early as grammar school. Approximately four percent of boys in grammar school use chewing tobacco. This percentage leaps to 20 percent for high school boys, half of whom develop pre-cancerous white patches in their mouths.

Many boys begin to use chewing tobacco when they become involved in sports, particularly baseball. Researchers believe that young people are influenced by seeing professional baseball players using chewing tobacco at the ballpark or during televised games.

It may be smokeless, but it’s still tobacco

One of the newest forms of smokeless tobacco that is gaining popularity in America is called snus (rhymes with “goose”). It's a Swedish type of smokeless tobacco that comes in teabag-like pouches that a user sticks between the upper lip and gum, leaves there for up to 30 minutes and discards without spitting.

This form of smokeless tobacco has become more popular because it’s not as messy as chewing tobacco, dipping tobacco and moist snuff, which often cause excess saliva during use. It does, however, still contain the active ingredients of chewing tobacco. Snus products are required to carry one of three warning labels that say the product is either "not a safe alternative to cigarettes," "may cause mouth cancer" or "may cause gum disease and tooth loss."

Smokeless tobacco and oral health

Just because chewing tobacco and other forms of smokeless tobacco aren't smoked as cigarettes does not mean they are harmless, especially when it comes to oral health. In fact, the American Cancer Society, in a study of 116,000 men, found that male smokers who gave up cigarettes for smokeless tobacco still had higher death rates from lung cancer, heart disease and strokes than men who quit all tobacco or never smoked.

Like cigarettes, smokeless tobacco can lead to higher incidences of cavities and oral cancer. A few of the known health dangers of smokeless tobacco include the following:

Smokeless tobacco products, just like cigarettes, contain at least 28 cancer-causing chemicals.
Smokeless tobacco is known to cause cancers of the mouth, lip, tongue and pancreas.
Users also may be at risk for cancer of the voice box, esophagus, colon and bladder, because they swallow some of the toxins in the juice created by using smokeless tobacco.
Smokeless tobacco can irritate your gums, causing gum (periodontal) disease.
Sugar is often added to enhance the flavor of smokeless tobacco, increasing the risk for tooth decay.
Smokeless tobacco typically contains sand and grit, which can wear down teeth.

What you can do?
If you are a smoker, a user of smokeless tobacco or a parent with a child or teen whom you suspect may be using tobacco, you can start by understanding that tobacco dependence is a nicotine addiction disorder.

There are four aspects to nicotine addiction: physical, sensory, psychological and behavioral. All aspects of nicotine addiction need to be addressed in order to break the habit. This can mean that tobacco users may need to try several times before they are able to successfully kick the habit.

Speak to your child directly about the risks associated with all tobacco products, including smokeless ones. If you have friends or relatives who have died of a tobacco-related illness, share the truth about it with your child, and discuss ways your child can say no to tobacco.

Information courtesy of the Academy of General Dentistry and the American Dental Association