Guest opinion: Seniors’ overall health linked to oral care

A Surgeon General’s Report was issued in 2000 to alert Americans to the link and importance of good oral health to overall health. Dental and medical professionals and other advocates have done much to give that message a sense of urgency, yet far too many people over age 55 continue to suffer from preventable oral disease.

Older adults with oral disease are often in pain, unable to eat anything but soft foods, and many have lost all of their teeth because of the lack of prevention and access to dental care.

Last year the Spokane County Health District led an effort to assess the health status of seniors in our community. In the report, “Aging With Care in Spokane County,” the oral health assessment was most startling.

“One-third of older adults reported having difficulty biting or chewing many kinds of food.

“One in five seniors reported that his or her gums hurt.

“More than 40 percent of those surveyed felt they needed to see a dentist, but had not.

“One-third of seniors 60 years or older are missing all of their teeth.

Age in and of itself is not a dominant or sole factor in determining oral health. However, advancing age puts many older adults at risk for a number of oral health problems. Poor oral health can increase the risk of pneumonia, a leading cause of death for seniors. Gum disease is associated with diabetic complications and increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.

It is also unfortunate that many seniors are not aware that seven out of 10 commonly prescribed medications for seniors cause xerostomia, or “dry mouth,” which can quickly lead to decay and gum disease. Medical treatment such as chemotherapy and radiation can also cause dry mouth. Dry mouth is not a routine part of aging; it can and should be treated.

Over time oral disease grows increasingly painful and more expensive to treat, draining limited incomes and tight health care budgets. Medicare does not cover routine dental services, not even prevention. Some seniors are forced to seek expensive care in already overcrowded emergency rooms.

Unfortunately, many older adults will ignore their oral health, not aware they may be jeopardizing their overall health. With the aging baby boom generation, the number of seniors suffering from preventable oral disease is poised to increase dramatically. We must shed more light on the need to protect oral health through a combination of advocacy, new programs and even legislative help from our elected officials in Olympia and Washington, D.C.

A recent TV and radio advertising campaign sponsored by the Washington Dental Service Foundation and the Elder Care Alliance focused on raising awareness about the link between oral health and overall health. The campaign is urging support for cost-effective measures to prevent oral disease and improve overall health for seniors.

We need to pay attention to and support the work being done to encourage collaboration between dentists and physicians. This is important because seniors are more likely to see a physician for ongoing health concerns than they are to visit a dentist. Legislation introduced in Olympia this year includes a pilot program that would support this collaboration by evaluating the costs and savings associated with increasing access to dental care for low-income seniors at risk for chronic disease.

The legislation would extend Medicaid reimbursements to physicians and enhance rates to dentists who treat the referred patients. This could be a very worthwhile and cost-effective program if it gains traction in Olympia. Research suggests that treating gum disease can prevent costly medical complications associated with chronic diseases, such as diabetes.

Ignoring the oral health needs of older adults is shortsighted. The problems will not go away, but in fact will become more serious and more costly. The good news is that oral disease is preventable. When we make disease prevention a priority in this state, the health dividends will be significant and so will the cost savings.

Prevention pays in many ways, and that is the message that must be delivered to policymakers.