Choosing Oral and Dental Care Products

Use ADA approved brushes with soft bristles

When it comes to choosing oral and dental care products for the elderly, the first thing you need to know is that you want to choose products that have been approved by the American Dental Association (ADA).

The reason that you only want to buy oral and dental care products that are approved by the ADA is that they have been meet the safety and effectiveness criteria that is established by the ADA. Any claims that are made about the oral and dental product that you are purchasing have been scientifically supported, if it bears the ADA seal of acceptance.

When choosing toothbrushes for the elderly you are going to need to make sure that you select a toothbrush that has soft bristles. You do not want to use a toothbrush that has medium or hard bristles because of the damage that it can cause to the elderly person’s gums. Hard bristles, even if they are medium strength bristles, can cause the gum tissue to pull away from the teeth, which exposes the tooth’s root. If the root is exposed the tooth is going to be more sensitive, and the receding gum tissue can also lead to tooth loss. You also want to choose a toothbrush that is going to fit comfortably in their mouth. If you elect to use toothpaste when brushing their teeth, you want to select toothpaste that contains fluoride which will help prevent cavities.

Floss is another important part of dental care. You can choose between automatic flosser or manually flossing. An automatic flosser will allow your loved one to easily floss their teeth without ruining their gums. If they are not capable of using an automatic flosser, they will have to floss their teeth by hand, or you will need to do it for them. Dental floss is pretty much the same; the biggest difference is waxed and unwaxed. The type of dental floss that you choose is going to be a personal preference, so be sure to ask their opinion before buying any.

If they wear dentures, you are going to need to ensure that you choose the right denture products so that they can clean their dentures properly each night. You can choose toothpaste that allows you to brush the dentures, but it is recommended that you soak the dentures overnight. To soak the dentures overnight you can buy a variety of tablets that dissolve in water to clean the dentures as they are soaking, but it is important to clean any food off the denture before soaking them.

Mouthwash is also an important dental product that you will need to use. Just remember that mouthwash does not clean the teeth, so it should only be used after brushing your teeth or in between brushings to freshen breath. You can also use a special kind of mouthwash before brushing your loved one's teeth to help remove food that is stuck between teeth. When choosing mouthwash you want to choose a fluoride mouth rinse because it can further help prevent cavities.

If your loved one can no longer brush their own teeth, one of the best dental and oral care products that you can get are Toothette swabs, which can be purchased from The Caregiver Partnership in bulk. Some of the swabs will require you to use a mouth moisturizer, which can also be purchased in bulk from The Caregiver Partnership at http://www.caregiverpartnership.com/category/21/. The swabs are relatively easy to use and they are mess free, which makes having to clean your loved ones teeth easier and faster. In addition, the swabs are great for patients that suffer from sore mouths due to oral complications.

About The CareGiver Partnership. The CareGiver Partnership helps caregivers and their loved ones with answers to their caregiving questions, including information about home health care products and supplies, from our Wisconsin-based team of Product Specialists who are all current or former caregivers. The company’s Web site provides the largest online library of resources on subjects most important to caregivers — from arthritis to assisted living, and Parkinson’s to prostate cancer — as well as access to more than 3,000 home care products for incontinence, skin care, mobility, home safety and daily living aids. The CareGiver Partnership was founded in 2004 by Lynn Wilson of Neenah, Wisc. Visit http://www.caregiverpartnership.com/ to learn more or call 1-800-985-1353.

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