Burden of oral disease among older adults and implications for public health priorities

Abstract

Dental disease is largely preventable. Many older adults, however, experience poor oral health. National data for older adults show racial/ethnic and income disparities in untreated dental disease and oral health-related quality of life. Persons reporting poor versus good health also report lower oral health-related quality of life. On the basis of these findings, suggested public health priorities include better integrating oral health into medical care, implementing community programs to promote healthy behaviors and improve access to preventive services, developing a comprehensive strategy to address the oral health needs of the homebound and long-term-care residents, and assessing the feasibility of ensuring a safety net that covers preventive and basic restorative services to eliminate pain and infection.

FIGURE 1—

Tooth loss among US adults aged 50 years and older by (a) age, (b) age and general health status, and (c) age, race/ethnicity, and income: NHANES 2005-2008. Note. FPL = federal poverty level. ^aDifference in mean number of teeth between persons aged 50–64 years and ≥ 75 years was significant at P < .05. Difference in mean number of teeth by general health status was significant at P < .05 for all ages. Difference in mean number of teeth between Non-Hispanic White and Non-Hispanic Black and Non-Hispanic White and Hispanic was significant at P < .05 for all ages. Difference in mean number of teeth by income was significant at P < .05 for all ages. ^bDifference in edentulism between persons aged 50–64 years and ≥ 75 years was significant at P < .05. Difference by general health status was significant at P < .05 for all ages. Difference between Non-Hispanic White and Non-Hispanic Black and Non-Hispanic White and Hispanic was significant at P < .05 only for persons aged ≥ 75 years. Difference by income status was significant at P < .05 for all ages.

FIGURE 2—

Untreated dental disease among US adults aged 50 years and older by (a) age, (b) age and general health status, and (c) age, race/ethnicity, and income: NHANES 2005-2008. Note. FPL = federal poverty level. ^aDifference between persons aged 50–64 years and ≥ 75 years was significant at P < .01. ^bDifference by general health status was significant at P < .05 for all ages. ^cDifference by general health status was significant at P < .05 for persons aged 50–74 years. ^dDifference by general health status was significant at P < .05 for persons aged 50–64 years. ^eDifference between Non-Hispanic White and Non-Hispanic Black was significant at P < .05 for all ages. Difference between Non-Hispanic White and Hispanic was significant at P < .05 for persons aged 50–74 years. Difference by income significant at P < .05 for all ages. ^fDifference between Non-Hispanic White and Non-Hispanic Black and Non-Hispanic White and Hispanic was significant at P < .05 for all ages. Difference by income was significant at P < .05 for persons aged 50–74 years. ^gDifference between Non-Hispanic White and Non-Hispanic Black and Non-Hispanic White and Hispanic was significant at P < .05 for all ages. Difference by income was significant at P < .05 for all ages.