• According to health industry experts, such as the Oral Health America, American Dental Association …to name a few, below are some of their top citations surrounding the health risks of poor oral health in older adults:
  • Gum Disease.  Linked to heart disease, stroke and diabetic complications, gum disease can wreak havoc with your loved one’s health.  And, obviously gum disease can lead to loss of teeth, in turn leading to increased issues with eating, getting proper nutrition and infectious diseases.
  • Mouth Cancer.  Affecting the mouth, throat, tongue, this cancer is most easily detected early during dental visits.  Usually silent until the much later stages, lives can be saved through regular exams during the routine trip to the dentist.
  • Dry Mouth.  From medications, related to medical conditions such as diabetes, or simply part of aging, dry mouth can lead to serious oral disease, including painful and costly root cavities later in life and gum disease.  Dry mouth can also make it more difficult to chew, speak and swallow.
  • Diabetic Complications.  Diabetics are twice as likely to develop gum disease, making it more difficult to control blood sugar levels and to avoiding dry mouth.

Wearing Dentures Does NOT Get You Off the Hook.  Inside the mouth, places such as gums, the tongue and the palate (roof of your mouth) are susceptible to oral cancer and drying, the same as with the person who has teeth.

Just like the air we breathe can cause health problems, so can breathing through a mouth filled with bacteria can cause pnuemonia!

According to the American Dental Association , Persons confined to bed, persons with physical limitations, or those who have difficulty remembering to brush their teeth or care for their dentures, are at high risk to developing pneumonia from inhaled bacteria, simply because attention to oral health falls by the wayside amidst all the other tasks of caring that must be done.