SUMMARY: Senior citizens and
older adults struggle from bad breath and other oral health issues more
often than younger people.
No matter how old we are, many people suffer from bad breath, or halitosis,
on a daily basis. From not keeping up with a healthy regimen of
brushing, flossing, rinsing and scraping the tongue, to having a poor
diet, there are many easy ways to combat stinky breath in younger
individuals. Seniors and older adults, on the other hand, may find it
difficult to get rid of unsavory breath.
Although many bad breath causes
are similar in younger and older individuals, there are many different
issues as well. Not only do elderly and older adults have much more wear
and tear on their teeth, their dentures and gum disease can lead to issues as well.
"Older people often develop dry mouth,"
Ann Bosy, one of the founders of the Fresh Breath Clinic in Toronto
told the St. Petersburg Times. "They no longer have enough saliva to
wash away food particles and bacteria, or to absorb the volatile sulfur
compounds produced by some of the bacteria. Also, the elderly sometimes
can't clean their teeth as well. Their manual dexterity decreases. Their
gums may have receded, and they'll have some periodontal disease, which
provides another place for anaerobic bacteria to proliferate."
Dentures
Elderly people often lose their natural teeth and resort to using
dentures or false teeth as a replacement. However, if these are not
properly cleaned, bad breath can easily pop up. Food particles can slip between dentures, causing bacteria build up in the mouth resorting in halitosis.
It's important to keep up with a daily regimen of cleaning dentures to
prevent this. After every meal, dentures should be cleaned and they
should be thoroughly brushed twice a day. At night, dentures should be
disinfected with either a homemade solution or store bought one that
will kill bacteria and allow the mouth to stay minty fresh.
Medications
Seniors and older adults are sometimes on one or more different kinds
of medication, which may contribute to a less healthy mouth. A major
side effect of many medications is dry mouth,
which then leads to bad breath. Once saliva production is halted, bad
bacteria and germs that cause bad breath cannot be properly washed out
of the mouth. Dry mouth is a side effect in many medications for blood
pressures, anti-Parkinson, anti-depressants, decongestants, diuretics
and sedatives. This is also a side effect of many surgeries because of
anesthetics. To combat this issues, individuals should make sure to
drink plenty of water throughout the day to wash down food particles and
bacteria.
Illness
As we age, it's very common to have illnesses and diseases that pop up, such as diabetes. There
are several illnesses that cause bad breath, like mouth and throat
infections, kidney failure, heart disease, throat or lung cancer and
liver disease. Bad breath is also common in patients with
Parkinson's or Alzheimer's disease because people are not able to clean
their teeth as well, or they may forget to keep up a regimen all
together. In these individuals, it's important to visit the dentist on a
regular basis to make sure the teeth and mouth are thoroughly cleaned.
Treatment
Treating bad breath in seniors, elderly adults or individuals who
suffer from illnesses can be challenging, but straying away from
mouthwash with alcohol in it and using fluoride toothpaste can help
battle these issues. Brushing the teeth for a minimum of one minute at
least twice a day - in the morning and at night - will help rinse the
mouth of food and bacteria. Flossing is also pertinent in oral health
because food particles can trapped between the teeth and a toothbrush
can often not reach these spots.
