Senior Citizen Dental Care

Now, granted, Mom's teeth had been in operation for 94 years so we'd been pretty lucky. My poor father, now gone, didn't have any of his own teeth left in his head. Mom had been blessed with wonderful teeth most of her life but, as she aged, her dental care program was suffering. Partly my fault, I suppose I should have been on her more to brush her teeth twice a day. But, really, as the full time caregiver, I had other stuff to tend to - like keeping her "pink...."

As we age a few things happen in our mouths; our saliva lessens so that plaque builds up quicker. "Dry mouth" may also be the result of some types of medications.

In addition to senior mouths not producing enough saliva, the elderly may suffer TIAs (transient ischemic attacks) - AKA, mini strokes. TIAs cannot be prevented, and most don't even have many lasting effects. They may though be a precursor to a full blown stroke so anyone suffering TIAs should be seen by the doctor.

TIAs, stokes, and various diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's may weaken our swallowing reflex. Mostly, the tongue may be affected and the purpose of the tongue is actually to assist with swallowing. So, if a senior citizen is not swallowing properly, that means that food may be left in the mouth (particularly the cheeks) and bacteria can build up - never a good thing.

It may become difficult for you senior citizen friend to brush his or her teeth. Poor eyesight, lack of hand/eye coordination or sore gums may make brushing ones teeth a daunting task.

During a recent hospitalization, I was introduced to mouth swabs and mouthwash as a way to keep Mom's mouth clean. I just moisten one of the swabs (like those below) with mouthwash and carefully swab the inside of her cheeks and across her gums. I make sure to clean her tongue also as the tongue is a likely place for food and bacteria to accumulate.