Tips for Helping Your Parent Recover from Dental Work

By Marlene Diaz | October 13, 2016 |

Homecare Federal Way WA

It is an unfortunate reality that many elderly adults suffer from serious oral health issues. These stem from many factors, including effects of aging, growing up without access to fluoride, and lack of proper oral care at home. This can lead to a wide variety of serious issues, including the need for extensive dental work. When this occurs, it is important that they not only undergo the care promptly to resolve whatever issues they are facing, but also that they recover effectively from this care. As with any other type of surgical procedure, dental work carries with it the risk for certain complications and consequences, including infection, excessive bleeding, and other issues.

Try these tips for helping your parent recover from dental work:

• Know the instructions ahead of time. Before your parent undergoes their treatment, talk to the dentist about aftercare instructions. Find out what type of medications your parent might need to take after their procedure and any specific instructions that they will have to follow regarding these medications. Also ask about what type of side effects they might suffer and the type of care that you will need to give them to help them recover. Knowing about this care ahead of time will take stress off of you during and immediately after the procedure.

• Let them rest. Your aging parent will likely experience effects after their procedure such as fatigue, dizziness, drowsiness, and possibly nausea. During this time it is important that your aging parent gets the rest that they need to feel better. Attempting to do too much while they are dealing with these symptoms can also put them in danger, possibly causing falls or increased risk of complications such as infection.

• Encourage soft foods. Follow the dentist’s instructions regarding eating and drinking following their procedure. When they have reached the time when the dentist says it would be safe for them to eat, focus first on soft foods. This will not only protect the area that the dentist treated but will keep your aging parent feeling more comfortable as they get accustomed to the changes in their mouth that the procedure caused.

• Rinse their mouth. The dentist is likely to recommend that your parent does not rinse their mouth or brush their teeth for at least 24 hours. After this time, however, they might find it soothing to rinse their mouth with warm salt water a few times a day to ease pain and swelling. This can also help to reduce the chances of infection.

If your aging parent will need to undergo dental work soon, now may be the ideal time for you to consider elder homecare for them. An elderly homecare services provider can be in the home with your elderly loved one as they recover to make sure that they follow the guidelines set forth by their dentist, offer reliable medication and treatment reminders, and give them the support and encouragement they need to stay healthy and safe. This homecare can then continue if your parent and you feel that it would be beneficial for them to have additional support and assistance throughout their later years. This can be important for them both when they are dealing with specific health challenges and when they are simply trying to stay healthy.

https://www.deltadentalins.com/oral_health/oral_surgery.html

If you or an aging loved one are considering Homecare Services in Federal Way WA, contact the caring staff at Hospitality Home Care today. Call us at (206) 966-6552.

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Marlene Diaz

Care Supervisor at Hospitality Home Care

Marlene brings to Hospitality Home Care's Care Supervisor Team an unprecedented level of passion for caring for others and a wealth of knowledge and understanding in the care services field. Marlene has worked in the healthcare field for more than 15 years in a variety of settings including, adult family home administration, home care HR supervising and working with specialty populations including dementia, mental health and developmental disabilities. Throughout this time Marlene has also maintained her caregiver credentials that she obtained as a teenager because, while her knowledge is best served helping to train caregivers and assist families to get the care they need, her heart is most fulfilled when she is providing care to others. When she is not in the office, you will most likely find Marlene caring for her family, or spending time with her friends.