Dental care for older people: opportunities and challenges

Abstract

The oral health of the population in Germany has improved in recent years; however, older people, especially those with frailty and in need of care, have not benefited adequately from this development. Yet, good oral health can make a relevant contribution to better coping with the challenges of frailty and the need for long-term care. Limited access to dental care, and in some cases reduced cooperation and poorer oral hygiene, increases the risk of caries, periodontal diseases, and loss of teeth as well as leads to a higher prevalence of edentulism in comparison to the general population. This paper provides an overview of the dental situation of older people based on previously published data from the population representative Fifth German Oral Health Study (DMS V), which was collected in 2014. The mean number of missing teeth was 11.1 among 65- to 74-year-olds. Older seniors (75–100 years) with care needs (äSmP) had worse oral health than those without care needs (äSoP). Thus, on average, äSoP had 11.8 teeth, whereas äSmP had only 5.7 teeth. The proportion of edentulous 65–74-year-olds had halved since 1997 to 12.4%. Among the äS, 32.8% were edentulous (äSmP: 53.7%, äSoP: 26.7%). More than 75% of the äSmP had removable prosthetic restorations (äSoP: 51.7%). Against this background, this paper identifies interfaces where an equal opportunity connection of these population groups to a dental care structure could be established. These include acute geriatric hospital wards and the development of more far-reaching concepts in outreach care to improve care for those affected and to facilitate care.