Extracting dental facts
URGENT attention needs to be given to the growing problem of elderly people’s oral health, a University of Otago study shows.
Middleaged people with bad oral health should not rule out discussing complete extraction either, the study’s lead author says.
Researchers surveyed the oral health of 987 people living in aged residential care and found those with dementia, and older men in general, had dirtier and more decayed teeth.
Otago University oral sciences head of department Prof Murray Thomson said in some ways dentistry had become a victim of its own success.
‘‘Not only do we have more older people every year, but more people are entering old age with their own teeth, rather than full dentures.’’
Older people had higher rates of cognitive and physical impairments, making it harder for them to care for their own oral health.
Prof Thomson believed slow progress was being made in the area.
It was a complex situation, involving a lot of players, including the agedcare sector, the Ministry of Health, the dental profession and the public.
It was encouraging oral health had been included in New Zealand’s Healthy Ageing Strategy, he said.
Of those examined in the study, those with severely impaired cognitive function had greater numbers of teeth with decay and higher oral debris scores, reflecting poorer daily oral hygiene care.
Greater rates of tooth decay could result in dental and facial infections, poorer quality of life, malnutrition and difficulties in communication.
The researchers also found that even the most cognitively impaired participants were able to be examined fairly easily, meaning that regular, routine removal of oral debris by carers should not be difficult.
‘‘For people who have poor oral health in middle age, it is not going to be any better in old age, and an honest, open conversation with a dentist about the options, which may include complete extraction, may be a very good idea,’’ Prof Thomson said.