With the rapid development of China's economy and the improvement of people's living standards, the oral hygiene problems of middle-aged and elderly people are becoming more and more prominent. The results of the third national oral health epidemiological survey show that the prevalence of dental caries in middle-aged and elderly people in China is as high as 88. 1% and 98.4% respectively, and the periodontal health rates are 14.5% and1%respectively. Oral diseases not only make many middle-aged and elderly people lose their chewing function prematurely, but also cause or aggravate heart diseases, stomach diseases, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, joint diseases and complications, which seriously endanger their overall health.
The main problems existing in oral health of middle-aged and elderly people are: lack of oral health knowledge; Self-awareness of oral health care is not strong; Good oral hygiene habits are not enough; Poor oral hygiene; Dental caries, especially root caries, are serious and most of them have not been effectively treated; Periodontal disease is also the main cause of tooth loss in the elderly; The prevalence of cervical wedge-shaped defects and oral cancer is also rising. It can be seen that oral diseases are very common among middle-aged and elderly people.
Therefore, the theme of the national "Love Teeth Day" on September 20th this year is to pay attention to the oral health of middle-aged and elderly people, so as to arouse their attention to oral health.
First, regular oral examination, early detection and treatment of oral diseases.
Influenced by old ideas, many people think that it is common for people to lose their teeth when they are old, so they ignore the oral health care of middle-aged and elderly people. Dental caries and gingivitis, simple and easy to treat, with little pain and low cost, have developed into complex, painful and expensive treatments for endodontic diseases and periodontitis. Therefore, regular examination and timely treatment of diseases are one of the effective ways for middle-aged and elderly friends to protect their teeth.
Its specific practice:
Every six months or 1 year, 1 time oral examination, early treatment and early prevention. Regular scaling (commonly known as tooth washing) can prevent the occurrence and development of periodontal disease.
2. When the teeth are stimulated by cold, heat, acid, or sweetness or are uncomfortable, you should go to a regular dental medical institution for examination and treatment in time until the pain is unbearable.
3. Keep every treatable tooth and don't pull it out easily.
4. Pay attention to the following symptoms and go to the hospital for examination in time to rule out oral cancer.
(1) Oral ulcer that cannot heal for more than 2 weeks.
(2) White or red spots (plaques) appear on the oral mucosa.
(3) Non-inflammatory swelling of oral cavity with cervical lymph node enlargement.
(4) Unexplained numbness or pain in the mouth and neck (excluding other reasons).
People who smoke, drink and chew betel nut for a long time are regularly screened for oral cancer on the basis of self-examination.
Second, develop good oral hygiene habits and lifestyles, and comprehensively safeguard oral health.
1, brush your teeth every morning and evening, and it is very important to brush your teeth at night. Brushing your teeth after meals is worth promoting. Brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste and health toothbrush to remove dental plaque, maintain periodontal health and prevent dental caries. Adopt correct brushing method, avoid cross brushing and prevent wedge-shaped defect of tooth neck.
It is best to floss the adjacent surfaces of teeth once a day. If the teeth are wide, it is recommended to use a gap brush.
3. Knock your teeth well. Every morning and evening or in your spare time, keep your mouth shut and knock your teeth up and down. Generally, the molars are knocked 50 times first, then the teeth are knocked 50 times and then the teeth are knocked 50 times. After knocking your teeth, stir your teeth with your tongue for about a minute.
4. Quit smoking, drink less and eat a balanced diet.
5. Drink plenty of water to prevent dry mouth.
6. For middle-aged and elderly people with serious diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease and hemiplegia. Family members or medical staff should regularly carry out special oral care.
Third, repair the missing teeth in time.
It is inevitable for the elderly to lose their teeth or even their whole mouths. In order to restore its normal oral chewing and language function, dental implants should be repaired in time.
1. Dental inlay timing: generally, it will be restored 2-3 months after tooth extraction. If necessary, temporary repairs can be made during this period to solve the aesthetic problem.
2. Inlay method: At present, there are fixed restoration, movable restoration and implant restoration. Mainly depends on the patient's oral condition and subjective requirements.
3. Keep the dentures in a functional state.
(1) Pay attention to protecting dentures (commonly known as dentures) and keep them clean to prevent deformation.
(2) Check the restored dentures regularly, and modify and adjust them in time if there is any discomfort.
(3) Long-term wearing of dentures often leads to swelling, pain, ulcer and other symptoms of oral tissues, so you should ask a doctor for examination, treatment or replacement in time.
4. Bad prosthesis can not only promote oral health, but also seriously damage oral health.
Fourth, going to a regular dental medical institution for medical treatment is the guarantee of oral health.
Oral diseases of middle-aged and elderly people may involve maxillofacial surgery, oral endodontics, periodontics, prosthodontics and so on. It covers almost all disciplines of stomatology and has high requirements for doctors. Regular oral medical institutions can provide high-quality medical care services for middle-aged and elderly people, help you maintain the most basic oral function, or restore oral function as much as possible through minimal repair. The basic goal of oral health care is to maintain the self-care ability of the elderly and improve their quality of life. Besides self-oral care, dentists will protect your oral health.