Tips for Safe and Healthy Flossing on Flossing Day
Senior Care Coral Springs FL
November 24 is Thanksgiving Day, which might make it appropriate that November 25 is Flossing Day. Using a proper flossing technique is essential to maintaining oral health, which can make a tremendous impact on your senior parent’s overall health and well-being throughout their later years.
While brushing their teeth twice a day removes food particles, plaque, and other contaminants from the surface of the teeth and tongue, flossing takes this one step further to remove these contaminants from between the teeth and the gum line. These can cause bacteria to flourish in the mouth, hastening tooth decay, tissue infection, and other issues that can then spread through the body, increasing the risk for problems such as heart disease, liver problems, digestive problems, infections, and even some cancers.
To get the most benefit from their flossing it is important that your parent understands and uses the right technique. This will help to make their efforts effective while also protecting them from potential injury.
Use these tips to help your loved one utilize a safe and healthy flossing technique on Flossing Day as well as throughout the rest of the year:
• Choose the right tool. There is not just one type of supply that you can choose for flossing. Work with your parent to find the tool that is right for your senior, whether it is conventional string floss, handheld flossers, or a water flosser. If you are not sure which might be best for them, discuss your loved one’s specific needs with their dentist so that they can give you recommendations.
• Rub the sides of the teeth. Flossing is not about just removing food particles that might have found their way between the teeth. It is also about getting rid of plaque that might have formed there. Encourage your parent to get their teeth properly cleaned by inserting the floss between the teeth, curving it, and rubbing it down the side of one tooth and then repeat to clean the other side of the tooth,
• Do not push too hard. One of the biggest causes of hesitation for flossing is the fear of pain. Encourage your loved one to be careful when flossing and not push too hard or too deep. If your parent complains of pain or bleeds when flossing, it could be an indication of gum disease or other dental problems. It is important to get this checked out by their dentist as soon as possible.
If your senior loved one is suffering from dental health problems or you think that they could benefit from additional support and assistance in caring for their mouth, now may be the ideal time for you to consider senior care for them. A senior home care services provider can be with your aging parent on a customized schedule that is right for your senior as well as the care efforts that you put forth for them. This means that you remain at the forefront of your loved one’s care, but that even when you are not able to be with them, you can still feel confident knowing that they are getting everything that they need to stay healthy, safe, and comfortable as they age in place.
When it comes to fulfilling their dental care needs, this care provider can remind your parent of the tasks that they need to fulfill, guide them through a safe and effective technique, or even demonstrate proper technique for them so that a senior who is suffering from cognitive limitations or challenges can mimic them to get their care done properly.
Source: http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/features/flossing-excuses
If you or an aging loved one are considering Senior Care Services in Coral Springs FL to provide companionship, compassion and motivation, please contact the caring staff at Responsive Home Care. Call today 954-486-6440.
