As the saying goes, "If you have bad teeth, you run with diseases". Oral health goes hand in hand with overall health. Maintaining good oral health is essential for the overall health of the elderly. At present, the proportion of aging in China is getting higher and higher, and when it comes to the health of the elderly, many people will pay special attention to common problems such as high blood pressure and heart disease, but often ignore oral health.
What are the common oral diseases of the elderly?
On the occasion of the 2023 Henan Love Teeth Benefiting the People Campaign, Dr. Liu Yan from the Department of Implantology of Zhengzhou Zhide Dental Hospital further shared the importance of oral health and how to pay attention to and maintain it in combination with the common oral diseases of the elderly in clinical practice. "We should care for the oral health of the elderly as much as possible, detect oral problems early, and reduce follow-up costs. ”
Liu Yan introduced that with the increase of age, the gum deterioration makes the root of the tooth exposed, which is easy to cause tooth decay. The self-cleaning function of the elderly oral cavity is weakened, and it is also easy to breed a large number of bacteria, making some people susceptible to periodontal disease. In addition, the weakened immunity of the elderly is also an important reason for the increased incidence of dental caries and periodontal disease. The proportion of dental caries and periodontal disease is higher in older people.
Loose teeth are one of the main symptoms of a common oral disease in the elderly. There are physiological causes of tooth loosening, such as alveolar bone osteoporosis caused by age-related changes in the oral cavityThere are also pathological causes, such as partial endodontic disease, apical periodonym disease, gingivitis, periodontitis and other periodontal diseases, which can show symptoms of tooth loosening. If it is not carried out in time**, it will eventually lead to tooth extraction or automatic loss, which will affect the chewing function of the elderly, and then endanger the health of the whole body.
Periodontal disease is an important cause of tooth loss, if the elderly have problems such as red, swollen and bleeding gums, bad breath, loose and displaced teeth, etc., they need to be vigilant, should seek medical attention in time, and actively try to preserve natural teeth. Dr. Liu Yan said.
Long-term tooth loss may lead to: destruction of the occlusal relationship and the need for occlusal reconstruction. For the elongation of jaw teeth, the collapse of adjacent teeth, the displacement of residual teeth, etc., the more time passes, the more serious the damage of the occlusal relationship, and when a single missing tooth evolves into multiple or half mouths, the difficulty of occlusal reconstruction is much greaterAlveolar bone atrophy and bone grafting may be required. Because there is no root stimulation in the missing tooth socket, the alveolar bone will "erode", and the bone mass will be thinner and less as time passesInduce periodontal disease, ** before implantation. Dental calculus, plaque, and mechanical trauma can all induce periodontal disease, and the occlusal relationship becomes disordered after missing teeth, which is more likely to impacted food than usual, and accelerates the formation of dental calculus and plaque.
Dr. Liu Yan suggested that tooth loss is not an inevitable rule, and the elderly should insist on brushing their teeth every morning and evening as long as they still have teeth in their mouths. It is recommended to have an oral health examination at least once every six months to find problems and deal with them in a timely manner. At the same time, it is recommended that the elderly have their teeth cleaned (scaled) once a year, and regular teeth cleaning can maintain periodontal health and prevent periodontal disease.
In addition, the residual root and crown may often become the focus of systemic infection, causing systemic diseases. Therefore, the elderly should promptly remove the stump or stump crown that has no value. In addition, loose, non-functioning teeth also need to be extracted. After the tooth is missing, it is necessary to have dental implants or implants in time to keep the oral dentition intact and restore the basic function of the oral cavity.
For the elderly who wear removable dentures, it is recommended that they should take out the removable dentures after each meal and brush them with a soft-bristled toothbrush, and at the same time rinse the mouth and clean the food residues in the mouth before wearing them.
Dr. Liu Yan said that the impact of systemic diseases on oral health cannot be ignored, and some systemic diseases have corresponding signs in the oral cavity. For example, diabetes and periodontal disease are closely related and mutually influential. Therefore, it is necessary to do a good job in oral health care and actively develop systemic diseases.