A recent study conducted by Oral Health American (OHA) finds that oral health is, in some ways, generally improving for many Americans. This improvement, which has taken place over the span of the last 50 years or so, is largely due to more effective dental technology and more vigorous prevention efforts, including water fluoridation efforts in communities across the U.S. While we have made some great strides in our overall oral health, much still needs to be done. Of particular concern is the need to address oral health issues for a rapidly growing senior population.
Certain findings of the study were somewhat alarming. For example, research showed that one-third of older adults have lost at least six teeth, and half of the states inside the U.S. received a poor overall rating when graded in the six following areas: severe tooth loss of residents (6 or more teeth); number of dental visits; Medicaid dental benefits for adults; fluoridation of community water systems, state oral health plans; and basic screening surveys. The study also reported that factors such as income level and education play a role in the oral health of adults in the U.S. Residents from lower income households had poor oral health compared with people from higher socioeconomic backgrounds.
The positive news is that more states are taking proactive action to ensure the oral health of their senior populations. Many of these states have initiated surveys to determine the current oral health of their older residents, provided fluoridated water to more citizens, and have increased the number of dental services provided under Medicaid plans.
Based on the OHA ranking of the six criteria mentioned above, the following 10 states had the best scores: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Connecticut, Colorado, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Michigan, California, and Vermont. The 10 states with the lowest scores included Wyoming, Delaware, West Virginia, New Jersey, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Mississippi.
The OHA study concluded that several steps should be taken to address the concerns for the oral health of our aging population: ensure comprehensive Medicaid benefits; increase dental coverage in Medicare plans; expand community water fluoridation efforts; include objectives for the oral health of seniors in each State Oral Health Plan (SOHP); and perform basic screening surveys of the older population in every state to identify concerns.
While it’s good news that many improvements have been made with regard to the oral health of Americans, our older population still struggles with their oral health. And as our population continues to age and the number of senior citizens increases, so too does the urgency to address these problems so that we can all enjoy better oral health in our golden years.
