How to Help Silicon Valley Seniors With Oral Health

While we tend to think of dental care as separate from healthcare, it makes sense that oral health is linked to a wide variety of other conditions. After all, the mouth is as much a part of the body as the heart and lungs. In fact, it’s doubly important for seniors, who often struggle to eat and drink enough.

Unfortunately, aging also tends to make oral hygiene more difficult. On top of oral pain and dry mouth, loss of memory or motor skills can prevent seniors from actually taking the daily steps to care for their teeth.

However, Silicon Valley is full of resources to help seniors with oral care. Here are a few of our favorites.

Oral Health Resources for Silicon Valley Seniors

From top-notch dentists to tools that make everyday oral hygiene a little easier, there are plenty of resources available to help Silicon Valley seniors with their oral health. Here are a few of our favorites:

1. Find the Right Dentist for Them

If it’s hard to get your loved one to go to the dentist, there may be a simple reason: They’re afraid. Many older people had a bad experience with a dentist when they were young. That sort of thinking spills over to oral health in general, making the entire idea seem pointless and overwhelming.

Negative thinking like this can be hard to shake—but it’s not impossible with the right help. That’s why it’s crucial to connect seniors with dental anxiety with a dentist they actually like. A dentist who makes them feel at ease can offer the sort of gentle, positive encouragement they need to approach dental care with confidence. 

One great place to start your search is the office of James Lin, DMD. Dr. Lin is a fellow in the Academy of General Dentistry, a high honor that only 6% of dentists have achieved. He understands how important it is to put patients at ease, and he works to listen to them and ensure they feel at ease.

2. Find a Trusted Oral Surgeon

A good daily oral hygiene routine and a skilled dentist can prevent most oral health issues, but there are some issues that a regular dentist just isn’t equipped to help with. Seniors are more prone to oral infections and cancers, as well as injuries (such as those from falling).

These issues tend to arise unexpectedly, so it’s best to familiarize your loved one with a trusted oral surgeon before they need it. We strongly recommend Dr. A. Michael Sodeifi of Saratoga Oral Surgery. Dr. Sodeifi has pioneered new techniques in implant placement, and he uses cutting-edge technology and techniques to ensure procedures are safe, reliable and minimally invasive.

3. Pick Up Dental Essentials

Good oral health is especially important for seniors because pain or difficulty swallowing makes it hard for them to get enough food (and to actually enjoy eating). However, aging-related difficulties also tend to make everyday oral hygiene challenging. The same discomfort that arises while eating can also make brushing and flossing unpleasant.

However, there are a number of products available at local drugstores like Wellness Pharmacy that can make oral hygiene easier to manage for seniors. Here’s what to look for:

• Dry Mouth Lozenges: Dry mouth isn’t just an annoyance. Not only does it make eating less pleasant, it can also make it harder to swallow, and it increases the risk of gum disease and tooth decay. It’s a common side effect of medications, so it’s fairly common in seniors. Dry mouth lozenges can help alleviate dry mouth when it occurs, so it’s best to keep them on hand.
• Dental Picks: Dental floss requires a lot of manual dexterity to use, so much that people of all ages struggle with it. That’s why it’s a good idea to stock up on dental picks. These pieces of shaped plastic have a built-in piece of floss, angled so they can get between even the back molars. 
• Electric Toothbrushes: Precise, repetitive movements can take more strength and coordination than you’d expect. Electric toothbrushes reduce the physical demands of the task—and they also do a better job than manual brushing.
• Water Flossers: While dental picks are easier to manage than traditional floss, they’re still harder to use than a manual toothbrush. If your loved one struggles with coordination, consider upgrading to a water flosser. Its jets of water replace the need for precise movement, and the long handle helps access hard-to-reach spots.

These tools help your loved one’s oral hygiene a lot, but they don’t replace the steady hands of someone who cares. Caregivers don’t just help with basics: They can offer gentle reminders of when it’s time to brush and floss, ensure the right tools are in reach and offer any other help that might be needed.

Get a Dental Care Buddy

From top-notch dentists to pharmacies stocking oral hygiene essentials, the resources available in Silicon Valley can turn dental visits from a source of dread into a mundane errand. However, even the most skilled dentist can’t help with logistics like transportation. That’s where caregivers come in.

The professional caregivers from FirstLight Home Care of Silicon Valley won’t just help your loved one maintain their daily oral hygiene. They’ll also offer transportation to and from the dentist’s office and give them a friendly buddy to help them feel comfortable in the waiting room.
Want to learn more about how our caregivers can help seniors care for their teeth? Contact us today.