Our Elders in Care
It is a known fact in the dental and medical communities that there is a very high correlation between many serious diseases/conditions and the mouth. The most vulnerable population to these conditions is the elderly. Those who are in long-term care facilities (LTC) are faced with basic daily mouth care needs often not being met at any adequate level as they are dependent on care staff, family members and LPN’s to provide daily plaque control. When oral diseases go untreated in this population it has a very negative impact on their quality of life. Add to it, limited access to regular professional mouth cleanings due to mobility issues, the condition known as xerostomia (diminished salivary flow) due to medications, and other limiting factors such as dementia and physical and emotional barriers to care, as well as socioeconomic factors. As a result many uncomfortable and painful oral conditions may become unnecessarily complicated and affect the individual’s ability to eat, speak and socialize due to discomfort or pain. There are many reasons to be actively involved in the care of our aging loved one's teeth.
Here are some of the more obvious and common reasons to be advocates for their daily mouthcare:
HW Dental Hygiene Services and Education is committed to bridging the gap to access in care by providing on-site professional mouth cleanings, cheerful and inspiring mouth care In-services to all care staff, to enable and support care providers with the tips and tools they need to perform effective daily mouth care with more ease and comfort.
Please click on the link below to review a relevant article which reviews the need for adequate mouth care in residential care from The Journal of Gerontological Nursing:
http://www.healio.com/nursing/journals/jgn/%7B8ba20fd4-6317-4bc8-9695-f81f1abea6db%7D/oral-hygiene-care-for-functionally-dependent-and-cognitively-impaired-older-adults
Here are some of the more obvious and common reasons to be advocates for their daily mouthcare:
- Ability to take in healthy food without pain and to be able to smile and socialize which adds to quality of life.
- Systemic diseases - heart disease, auto-immune diseases, diabetes, and aspiration pneumonia can all be exacerbated by poor oral health. Maintaining good plaque control and reducing biofilm with daily mouthcare and regular dental hygiene cleanings can help prevent these conditions from having more negative impacts on the aging loved one's mouth.
- Gum disease - the longer pathogens (bacteria, candida, and viruses) in plaque are left along the gumline the longer they have time to cause damage. These pathogens release toxins that deteriorate soft tissues such as our gums and break down enamel too.
- Xerostomia (diminished salivary flow) - this can lead to decay of the teeth or root surfaces and subsequently cause pain or discomfort. If decay develops on exposed roots of the teeth, where gum recession may have occurred, the tooth can fracture at the gumline and leave stumps or retained roots behind. These in turn, can develop abscesses and more serious oral conditions over time.
HW Dental Hygiene Services and Education is committed to bridging the gap to access in care by providing on-site professional mouth cleanings, cheerful and inspiring mouth care In-services to all care staff, to enable and support care providers with the tips and tools they need to perform effective daily mouth care with more ease and comfort.
Please click on the link below to review a relevant article which reviews the need for adequate mouth care in residential care from The Journal of Gerontological Nursing:
http://www.healio.com/nursing/journals/jgn/%7B8ba20fd4-6317-4bc8-9695-f81f1abea6db%7D/oral-hygiene-care-for-functionally-dependent-and-cognitively-impaired-older-adults