Page 31 - Seniors Today Jan20 Issue
P. 31
Health
The bite
that matters
Good dental health is much more than
just teeth and gums – it can affect
your entire body, explains Dr Rajeev
Narvekar
Elderly people in the past fifty years
composed a relatively small proportion towards softer processed foods, which are
of the population, but not so any more. often laden with sugar. On the flip side
Now that people are living longer, they some people stop eating enough and lose
have an expectation that dentistry will weight.
last longer, too. Dentists are finding more Senior dental problems can be common
concerns with other systematic diseases from dry mouth to periodontal diseases
that they have not realised have an impact and since oral health impacts the health of
on dental health, and where dental health the rest of the body, these issues need to be
has an impact on overall health. Therefore, taken seriously.
the treatments that clinicians offer their
patients must be created by developing HEART DISEASES
an entire wellness philosophy. From the Research shows that there is a connection
dentist’s point of view, ageing or geriatric between gum diseases and heart diseases,
patients offer many more significant people with periodontal disease are almost
challenges in trying to help them maintain twice as likely to have coronary artery
either their existing dentitions or to disease or heart diseases.
create suitable replacements, so that they
maintain their quality of life. PNEUMONIA
The mouth is the gateway to the digestive Poor oral health has been linked to
system. Chewing difficulty makes people pneumonia in older adults. By breathing
shun foods that they can’t swallow easily, in bacterial droplets from the mouth to the
and those foods are often ones with fibre lungs seniors are more susceptible to the
and essential nutrients such as fruits and conditions. Good oral hygiene is a good way
vegetables. Sometimes people gravitate to combat these bacteria.
31 SENIORS TODAY | Issue #7 | January 15, 2020
