Aging is a complex phenomenon that, partially due to the occurrence of chronic diseases, can result in frailty, limited mobility, and other aspects of physical and cognitive decline. Major concerns for older people are poor general health and poor nutrition.
The association between nutritional status and oral health in older people seems evident. Poor oral health can cause oral pain, chewing problems, periodontal disease, and tooth loss, which have a negative impact on nutritional intake, leading to poor nutritional status and risk of malnutrition. Inadequate intake of micronutrients and macronutrients can, in turn, lead to an increased risk of oral health problems such as gum disease, caries, and hyposalivation. There are evidence indicating a negative association between malnutrition and oral health. Prevention of malnutrition and optimizing oral health conditions in older people can result in better overall health, increased self-dependency, and higher quality of life.
Oral health in older adults
As the years go by, teeth and gum require an increasing amount of care. Dental pain and sensitivity, tooth decay, crowns and root canals; may eventually needing dentures or implant. Oral health problems can become very serious quickly.
Oral health problems commonly seen in older adults, according to the CDC, including -
Dental and oral diseases remain problematic for many older Americans. Untreated dental issues/oral diseases cause pain and infections in bone and soft tissues, due to lack of preventive care. Oral health, regardless of age, is integral to overall good health. It is an important, but often overlooked aspect of an older adult’s general health. Daily oral hygiene, the ability to access routine professional oral health services, and oral health education are all key factors that can improve the oral health of older adults.
Dental related malnutrition in older adults
Older adults are at an increased risk of malnutrition and poor oral health. Poor oral health, and in particular tooth loss and impaired masticatory function, may affect dietary selection and nutritional intake in older adults. Tooth loss and masticatory impairment are associated with limited consumption of various food types (especially fruits and vegetables), increased consumption of sugary and easy-to-chew foods, and lower dietary intake of fiber and vitamins.
Older Americans face many challenges, a very important but often overlooked, is the ability to maintain a healthy mouth and a healthy diet. Generally, dentists recommend having at least 20 teeth that have occlusion with one another to chew properly. This includes at least 4 pairs of molars that can help you chew on difficult food items, and the rest are anterior teeth to help you grip and tear on food. Correct issues with poorly fitting dentures and missing tooth will enable older adults for healthy dietary selections, eat better, enjoy food and enhance appetite.
Dos and don’ts in good oral care practice
Please do -
Please don’t -
Other factors related to oral health
Cognitive impairment
In addition, poor dental status and chewing deficiencies have been associated with cognitive decline. Altered dietary habits and malnutrition have been suggested as linking mechanisms.
The risk of cognitive impairment can jump by 48% for people with this dental problem. If you are an older adult, the risk of dementia and other cognitive impairment increases with each lost tooth, according to a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. Researchers, led by a team from New York University, reviewed several long-term studies and found participants with more missing teeth had on average a 48% higher risk of cognitive impairment and a 28% higher risk of dementia than other people. Each lost tooth was linked to a 1.4% increase in the risk of cognitive impairment and a 1.1% increase in the risk of dementia.
Vitamin D deficiency
Interestingly, numerous studies have shown that vitamin D deficiency also increases the risk of dental decay. This is because vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium and phosphate — both of which are crucial for building and keeping strong tooth enamel.
Dietary choices
It is quite straightforward to understand the importance of oral health for overall health. As a healthy diet may have a beneficial effect on cognitive performance, the role of oral health, and particularly dental status, on dietary choices is very important. Severe tooth loss and masticatory problems partly contribute to restricted dietary choices and poor nutritional status of older adults. Follow dietary guidance, preventing and treating oral disease to improve chewing ability and dietary habits.
Cost concerns
Over the past 20 years, per-person dental care costs have increased by 30% in the United States, accordingly. Policymakers must make oral health care more accessible, affordable, and equitable.
The average senior on Medicare using dental services paid nearly $900 a year out of pocket, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. And 1 in 5 Medicare beneficiaries spent more than $1,000.
Original Medicare doesn't cover most traditional dental care, and 47% of Medicare beneficiaries go without any dental insurance. But gum disease, tooth loss and oral cancer are all greater concerns for seniors, and finding comprehensive dental insurance can be difficult.
It is true that Medicare generally does not cover dental insurance. Some Medicare Advantage plans may cover a limited amount that helps to cover routine dental care. Major dental procedures such as crown, root canal, implant, bridges and dentures are expensive and expected pay out of the pocket. Watch out for scams. Shop around for best price and quality dental care near you. Cost negotiation and eventually dealing with medical billing can be a lot of headaches. But you can’t neglect oral health because the cost. It will be wise to plan in advance and allocate your budget for dental care. Prioritize your oral health and nutritional nourishment. Eat well is the fundamental step for wellbeing.
Motivation
Motivation is the key factor for oral self-care behaviors in older adults. Poor oral health is often resulted from lack of motivation, as oral health maintenance requires consistent daily flossing and brushing efforts, most people don’t like dental visits but rather deal with the “minor” dental pain, or scared of “the pulling teeth pain”, especially at an out of pocket high cost.
Keeping motivated for best oral selfcare, remind yourself that:
Take care of your oral health; don’t put it off. Contact qualitylifeforum@outlook.com for your health coaching needs and support.
© All rights reserved
References:
https://edepot.wur.nl/556263
https://www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/basics/adult-oral-health/tips.html
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6266396/
Disclaimer: This information is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice. Consult your healthcare professional for personal conditions.
The association between nutritional status and oral health in older people seems evident. Poor oral health can cause oral pain, chewing problems, periodontal disease, and tooth loss, which have a negative impact on nutritional intake, leading to poor nutritional status and risk of malnutrition. Inadequate intake of micronutrients and macronutrients can, in turn, lead to an increased risk of oral health problems such as gum disease, caries, and hyposalivation. There are evidence indicating a negative association between malnutrition and oral health. Prevention of malnutrition and optimizing oral health conditions in older people can result in better overall health, increased self-dependency, and higher quality of life.
Oral health in older adults
As the years go by, teeth and gum require an increasing amount of care. Dental pain and sensitivity, tooth decay, crowns and root canals; may eventually needing dentures or implant. Oral health problems can become very serious quickly.
Oral health problems commonly seen in older adults, according to the CDC, including -
- Untreated tooth decay. Nearly all adults (96%) aged 65 years or older have had a cavity; 1 in 5 have untreated tooth decay.
- Gum disease. A high percentage of older adults have gum disease. About 2 in 3 (68%) adults aged 65 years or older have gum disease.
- Tooth loss. Nearly 1 in 5 of adults aged 65 or older have lost all of their teeth. Complete tooth loss is twice as prevalent among adults aged 75 and older (26%) compared with adults aged 65-74 (13%). Having missing teeth or wearing dentures can affect nutrition, because people without teeth or with dentures often prefer soft, easily chewed foods instead of foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables.
- Dry mouth and oral cancer are more likely to develop in older adults as well.
Dental and oral diseases remain problematic for many older Americans. Untreated dental issues/oral diseases cause pain and infections in bone and soft tissues, due to lack of preventive care. Oral health, regardless of age, is integral to overall good health. It is an important, but often overlooked aspect of an older adult’s general health. Daily oral hygiene, the ability to access routine professional oral health services, and oral health education are all key factors that can improve the oral health of older adults.
Dental related malnutrition in older adults
Older adults are at an increased risk of malnutrition and poor oral health. Poor oral health, and in particular tooth loss and impaired masticatory function, may affect dietary selection and nutritional intake in older adults. Tooth loss and masticatory impairment are associated with limited consumption of various food types (especially fruits and vegetables), increased consumption of sugary and easy-to-chew foods, and lower dietary intake of fiber and vitamins.
Older Americans face many challenges, a very important but often overlooked, is the ability to maintain a healthy mouth and a healthy diet. Generally, dentists recommend having at least 20 teeth that have occlusion with one another to chew properly. This includes at least 4 pairs of molars that can help you chew on difficult food items, and the rest are anterior teeth to help you grip and tear on food. Correct issues with poorly fitting dentures and missing tooth will enable older adults for healthy dietary selections, eat better, enjoy food and enhance appetite.
Dos and don’ts in good oral care practice
Please do -
- Establish a personal oral hygiene routine and take personal accountability for oral health.
- Mouth rinse with water or salty water after eating or drinking.
- Floss daily between the teeth to remove dental plaque.
- Brush teeth thoroughly twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, but wait one hour after eat or drink. Toothpaste for sensitivity and Pronamel toothpaste are also commercially available.
- Proper care for dental tools (tooth brush replacement, electronic dental cleaning equipment, etc) and Dentures.
- Making healthy dietary choices for oral and overall health and enjoy your dining experiences.
- Sip on water frequently to maintain hydration and prevent dry mouth
- Visit your dentist for checkup at least once a year and better to receive regular dental cleaning.
Please don’t -
- Use any tobacco products and limit alcoholic drinks.
- Neglect dental pain– it won’t heal on its own and get treated the earlier the better.
- Ignore missing teeth, ill-fitting dentures or any or oral discomfort promptly and make sure you can eat anything you want. This is essential to prevent malnutrition.
- Overlook calcium sufficiency – Calcium helps keep your teeth healthy as you age. Reduce risk of osteoporosis, which has a significant impact on the bone that surrounds the teeth.
- Overlook Vitamin D deficiency - Vitamin D plays an important role in building and keeping strong tooth enamel.
Other factors related to oral health
Cognitive impairment
In addition, poor dental status and chewing deficiencies have been associated with cognitive decline. Altered dietary habits and malnutrition have been suggested as linking mechanisms.
The risk of cognitive impairment can jump by 48% for people with this dental problem. If you are an older adult, the risk of dementia and other cognitive impairment increases with each lost tooth, according to a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. Researchers, led by a team from New York University, reviewed several long-term studies and found participants with more missing teeth had on average a 48% higher risk of cognitive impairment and a 28% higher risk of dementia than other people. Each lost tooth was linked to a 1.4% increase in the risk of cognitive impairment and a 1.1% increase in the risk of dementia.
Vitamin D deficiency
Interestingly, numerous studies have shown that vitamin D deficiency also increases the risk of dental decay. This is because vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium and phosphate — both of which are crucial for building and keeping strong tooth enamel.
Dietary choices
It is quite straightforward to understand the importance of oral health for overall health. As a healthy diet may have a beneficial effect on cognitive performance, the role of oral health, and particularly dental status, on dietary choices is very important. Severe tooth loss and masticatory problems partly contribute to restricted dietary choices and poor nutritional status of older adults. Follow dietary guidance, preventing and treating oral disease to improve chewing ability and dietary habits.
Cost concerns
Over the past 20 years, per-person dental care costs have increased by 30% in the United States, accordingly. Policymakers must make oral health care more accessible, affordable, and equitable.
The average senior on Medicare using dental services paid nearly $900 a year out of pocket, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. And 1 in 5 Medicare beneficiaries spent more than $1,000.
Original Medicare doesn't cover most traditional dental care, and 47% of Medicare beneficiaries go without any dental insurance. But gum disease, tooth loss and oral cancer are all greater concerns for seniors, and finding comprehensive dental insurance can be difficult.
It is true that Medicare generally does not cover dental insurance. Some Medicare Advantage plans may cover a limited amount that helps to cover routine dental care. Major dental procedures such as crown, root canal, implant, bridges and dentures are expensive and expected pay out of the pocket. Watch out for scams. Shop around for best price and quality dental care near you. Cost negotiation and eventually dealing with medical billing can be a lot of headaches. But you can’t neglect oral health because the cost. It will be wise to plan in advance and allocate your budget for dental care. Prioritize your oral health and nutritional nourishment. Eat well is the fundamental step for wellbeing.
Motivation
Motivation is the key factor for oral self-care behaviors in older adults. Poor oral health is often resulted from lack of motivation, as oral health maintenance requires consistent daily flossing and brushing efforts, most people don’t like dental visits but rather deal with the “minor” dental pain, or scared of “the pulling teeth pain”, especially at an out of pocket high cost.
Keeping motivated for best oral selfcare, remind yourself that:
- Food is the fuel for lifeline and nutrition start from oral intake. Dental and masticatory function is essential for survival. Aging is not a reason to compromise oral health.
- You are accountable for your oral hygiene, more importantly when aging as it requires better care. Wellbeing is priceless.
- Dining experiences are enjoyable when you can eat without dental pain or limitations.
- Good taste of food is rewarding.
- Oral health enhances self-confidence and quality of life.
Take care of your oral health; don’t put it off. Contact qualitylifeforum@outlook.com for your health coaching needs and support.
© All rights reserved
References:
https://edepot.wur.nl/556263
https://www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/basics/adult-oral-health/tips.html
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6266396/
Disclaimer: This information is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice. Consult your healthcare professional for personal conditions.
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