By Holly Houska, DMD
Good dental health is important to our overall health at every age. The natural process of aging, chronic illnesses, and side effects of some medications can worsen oral health. Many senior citizens, dealing with such changes, are reluctant to seek dental care due to fear, financial concerns, or years of dental neglect. Some face impaired cognitive skills which hinder their ability to seek care, while others are not mobile enough to get to a dental office without assistance.
“There are a variety of challenges that can make it very difficult for the elderly to enjoy and maintain good oral health,” says Bloomington dentist, Dr. Mark Houska, who treats many seniors in his practice. “Elderly patients may have arthritis, a history of strokes, or any one of a number of conditions that make caring for their mouth and teeth more difficult. This increases the likelihood of tooth decay, gum disease, and painful abscesses. Research shows that the bacteria that cause gum disease can increase the risk of coronary artery disease, aneurysms, and other health problems, making good oral hygiene critical to good health in general.”
Even for patients eager for care, financial concerns can be a barrier. Medicare, which covers medical care for people 65 and older, doesn’t include routine dental care, and many seniors lose coverage through other insurance plans when they retire. Medicaid, the insurance program for low-income Americans, doesn’t require states to provide dental care for adults. Dental problems bring many low income seniors to hospital emergency rooms, increasing overall costs. In fact, non-traumatic dental conditions now account for more than two percent of all emergency room visits, according to Stanford University researchers.
“You have people who have maintained their oral health their entire lives, only to see it go down the tubes in six to eight months,” says Judith Jones, a professor at Boston University’s dental school and elder-care spokeswoman for the American Dental Association.
Some efforts are underway to ensure that all elderly patients get access to dental care. With the backing of the American Dental Association, the Senate has proposed including oral-health screenings in its reauthorization of the Older Americans Act, which helps pay for nutrition and social services for low-income seniors. In 2015, two bills were introduced in Congress that would expand coverage to adults without dental insurance.
As the baby boomers age, these and other efforts are an important step in ensuring that all senior citizens get the oral health care that they need. Treating dental disease in its early stages, is not only beneficial to oral health, it may also help to lower overall medical costs.
For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call Houska Dental Center at 309-662-9042 or visit them online at www.houskadentalcenter.com. They are located at 2433 Maloney Dr. in Bloomington and offer exceptional dental care to the Bloomington-Normal area with expertise in general and cosmetic dentistry.
Photo credit: bowdenimages/iStock