In the run up to publication of Carers and Caring; the One Stop Guide; how to care for older relatives and friends I am sharing an A to Z of practical solutions learned from research and experience. If you think any problems have been missed, you can email me and tell me, and I’ll make sure they are covered in the next edition and online on my website at www.juneandrews.net. 

Mouth care

Dental symptoms are one of the most common calls to NHS111, the out-of-hours emergency doctor service, particularly at weekends. It used to be that people had lost all their teeth by the time they were sixty years old. . This is relatively rare now and has given rise to a specialist branch of dentistry for older people. Problems with eating and drinking can be caused by someone having a sore mouth, and so helping with mouth care has benefits other than avoiding pain. Some other health problems can arise from having infected gums. As well as tooth loss, there can be complications such as increasing the risk of stroke, diabetes and heart disease. Gum disease has even been linked to causation of dementia. There is a risk of getting respiratory infections if you breathe in bacteria from your mouth, causing pneumonia and other diseases.

So keep that mouth nice and fresh!

Make sure there are regular visits to the dentist (or from the dentist. They will attend a care home). Brushing teeth twice daily and using a fluoride toothpaste will remove bacterial plaque and keep good hygiene. Remember to floss between the teeth and brush the tongue before brushing. Neglecting this can lead to bleeding gums and toothache. If there are dentures, they should be rinsed after food and cleaned every day, making sure they are not worn overnight.  You can also buy special toothbrushes for people with special needs caused by reduced mobility.

There is more advice about dentistry on NHS Choices www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/take-care-of-your-teeth-and-gums/ 

 Dentistry is one of the few NHS services where you have to pay a contribution to the cost. The NHS Low Income Scheme (LIS) may provide partial help with the cost of dental care for those who do not qualify for full help but still have a low income. 

There is much more about mouth care in  Carers and Caring: The One-Stop Guide: How to care for older relatives and friends - with tips for managing finances and accessing the right support  available from all good bookshops in May 2022

Three hints:

1.     Cleaning teeth reduces emergencies

2.     See a dentist regularly

3.     Check what could be free