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| The Risks of Alzheimer's Disease on Dental Health |
 Alzheimer's disease affects a multitude of areas of a person's life, not just his memory. One such area is the person's dental health. As the mind deteriorates and forgetfulness settles in, dental health can become severely neglected, resulting in serious oral and physical health issues down the road. The neglect is most often not intentional, but it is damaging, nonetheless.
Oral Health Issues
As for any patient, an Alzheimer patient's oral health is at great risk if he neglects to brush and floss his teeth on a regular basis. This can put him at risk for:
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Tooth decay |
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Advanced gum disease |
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Tooth loss |
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Bone loss in the mouth |
As a caregiver, you can help your loved one care for his oral health simply by ensuring that he brushes and flosses twice a day, eats healthy meals and gets proper dental cleanings two times per year.
Other Health Issues
Issues that occur with an Alzheimer patient's oral health can also affect his physical health down the road. If his teeth become weak due to improper care, advanced gum disease or tooth decay, eating and talking can become difficult. If this occurs, his physical health could suffer as a result of not receiving proper nutrition. When talking becomes difficult, the patient can become even more isolated and depressed, furthering the complications of the issues.
Dental health care is one area of major concern for an Alzheimer's patient. If you care for someone with this disease, make his oral health care of utmost priority to help minimize issues throughout his life.
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