Wednesday, March 24th, 2010
Yesterday’s blog focused upon overseeing the oral health of children, but there is more than one life situation where you might be responsible for caring for someone else’s dental hygiene on a regular basis. Senior caregivers, whether family or professional, may need to assist seniors in maintaining their oral health. In some seniors, dexterity can greatly impact their ability to brush and floss properly, and in others, it can be mobility or memory that has an impact. Caregivers shouldn’t take over the oral care of any senior, because allowing them to maintain their ability is essential, but they can provide basic assistance. Of course, with some seniors, complete care might be necessary as well.
- In seniors who have the dexterity to provide for their oral health, caregivers can simply encourage them through the process if it is memory due to illnesses like Alzheimer’s that make the process a struggle
- Make sure the toothbrush that a senior is using has soft bristles, whether or not the senior or caregiver will be doing the brushing
- If caregivers are doing the brushing, it’s easiest to stand behind the senior, and important to ensure they’re comfortable
- Complete periodic checks between dental visits
- For seniors who have dentures rather than natural teeth, it’s important to clean them daily using denture cleaner not toothpaste
Via: Canadian Dental Association , Image Via: Flickr Creative Commons
Tags: dental care, dental health for caregivers, dental hygeine, dentists, oral care for seniors, senior care, ToothSavers
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