8 Essential Tips for Senior Oral Hygiene: Why Gentle Care Matters

What is oral ulcer? Oral ulcer is a common oral problem in life. It is caused by infection of wounds in the mouth. Before the ulcer is formed, if the environment in the mouth is clean enough, it is actually possible to heal itself. But if the oral environment is poor, it is very likely to develop into oral ulcer.  Impact and harm of oral ulcers Although oral ulcers are small in area, the impact and harm they bring are multifaceted. Whether it is eating, drinking water, or simply talking, it will become difficult. The following are common harms of oral ulcers: 1.Increased risk of infection If oral ulcers are not healed for a long time, they may become an entry point for bacterial or viral infection. The wounds on the surface of the ulcers are easily infected by food residues or bacteria in the mouth, leading to aggravated local inflammation and even the possibility of systemic infection. 2.It may be a sign of certain diseases Recurrent or long-term unhealed oral ulcers may be early symptoms of certain systemic diseases, such as: Vitamin or trace element deficiency: such as lack of vitamin B, iron or zinc. Immune system problems: such as autoimmune diseases such as Behcet's disease and lupus erythematosus. Gastrointestinal diseases: such as gastric ulcers or Crohn's disease. Signals of malignant diseases: For example, the early manifestation of oral cancer may be persistent unhealed ulcers. 3.Induce other oral problems Long-term oral ulcers may affect the health of adjacent teeth and oral tissues, and increase the risk of other oral diseases such as caries and gingivitis. How do oral ulcers form? There are many factors that cause oral ulcers, such as stress from life and work, decreased immunity, etc., but the biggest reason is actually because of wounds on the oral mucosa and the poor environment in the mouth. Since the oral mucosa is delicate and sensitive, but we cannot reduce some daily habits, such as brushing teeth, we cannot avoid it from being damaged. If we want to curb oral ulcers, we need to control and change the oral hygiene conditions. The reason why oral ulcers occur is that after the oral mucosa is damaged, the poor oral hygiene environment affects the normal metabolism and repair of the oral mucosa. Bacteria reproduce faster in the rich, humid and warm environment of the mouth, and oral bacterial biofilms are formed between multiple bacteria. These bacteria and bacterial biofilms are not cleaned in time, which in turn causes oral inflammation and oral ulcers. Not only that, the poor oral environment may also prolong the healing time of oral ulcers, making your pain cycle longer. How does the oral environment affect oral ulcers?  Oral ulcers are mainly caused by unavoidable oral mucosal wounds, which become infected in extremely bad oral environments and then form ulcers. How does the oral environment affect oral ulcers? As the saying goes, "diseases come from the mouth." With the improvement of the quality of life, people have more and more choices for food. Some people like to eat heavy-tasting food, and this type of people are more likely to suffer from oral ulcers. First of all, other irritating flavors such as heavy oil, spicy, and sour can easily irritate the delicate oral mucosa. If we do not clean the mouth thoroughly at this time, the probability of suffering from oral ulcers will greatly increase. Another point that needs to be explained is that comprehensive oral cleaning is not as simple as brushing teeth. According to relevant data, teeth only account for 25% of the oral area, and the remaining 75% are covered by oral mucosa. Therefore, if you want to have a good oral environment, you need to clean your teeth while cleaning the oral mucosa, including our tongue, sublingual, upper and lower jaws, inside of the cheeks, gums and other parts.

Common causes and types of bad breath The oral cavity of most people is in a state of nutrient abundance. In the process of ingesting food, food residues will remain on the oral mucosa. In addition, the warm and humid environment in the oral cavity provides favorable conditions for the reproduction of bacterial biofilms. If the bacterial biofilms are not removed in time, they can cover the entire oral cavity in just 12 hours. If the ozone bacteria growing on the tongue coating are not cleaned in time, they will emit bad breath and cause bad breath. This is physiological bad breath with a probability of up to 90%. In addition to physiological bad breath, there is also pathological bad breath. Unlike physiological bad breath, this is caused by health problems of the oral cavity or body. The most common causes include gingivitis, dental caries, oral infections, gastrointestinal diseases, etc. Bad oral hygiene, dry mouth, tobacco use and certain medications can also cause bad breath. Therefore, it is important to identify the specific cause and take appropriate measures to deal with it. How to prevent and treat bad breath? To effectively prevent and treat bad breath, you need to keep your mouth clean and hygienic for a long time. Here are some prevention and treatment methods: Use a toothbrush and dental floss: Brush your teeth twice a day, use dental floss to clean the gaps between teeth, effectively remove food debris and dental plaque in the mouth, avoid food debris from staying in the mouth, and prevent bacteria from growing. Use oral mucosa cleaning tools: In addition to daily oral cleaning, the prevention of bad breath should also focus on the cleaning of the oral mucosa, effectively remove food debris on the oral mucosa, reduce bacterial growth, and keep the mouth clean. Regular dental examinations: Timely detection and treatment of potential oral problems, such as caries, gingivitis, etc. The impact of bad breath is far-reaching, not only a problem of oral hygiene, but may also involve the overall health of the body. Understanding the causes of bad breath and taking safe and effective preventive measures to prevent bad breath can greatly improve breath problems and keep your breath fresh.