315010
Oral health among adults 60 years of age and older, Georgia 2013
Older adults are a fast growing segment of the U.S. population and Georgia has the 11th fastest growing population of adults 60 years of age and older. Oral diseases and conditions are common among this population, and being disabled increases the risk of poor oral health. In 2013, we conducted a basic screening survey of older adults to assess their oral health status.
Methods
Nine dental hygiene programs conducted the survey. Each program conducted the survey in one nursing home, one homebound site, one congregate meal site, one assisted living site and one adult day care site. All sites were conveniently selected. We followed the protocol of the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors Basic Screening Survey for older adults. Data were analyzed using SAS 9.2.
Results
Overall 563 older adults, 60 years of age and older were included. Among those, 33.4% needed periodontal care, 28.8% had lost all their teeth and 25.3 % had untreated tooth decay. Among participants, 59.6% did not have an obvious problem that needed immediate care, 33.6% needed early dental care while 6.7% needed urgent dental care. The prevalence of urgent dental care need was highest among participants surveyed in congregate meal centers (11%), while the highest prevalence of early dental care need (43.3%) was among participants in nursing home.
Conclusions
Identifying the need for dental care among older adults especially for those who are disabled can help better target limited dental resources leading to improvement in their overall health and quality of life.
Learning Areas:
Assessment of individual and community needs for health educationEpidemiology
Learning Objectives:
Describe oral health status among older adults in Georgia.
Identify oral health needs among older adults in Georgia.
Keyword(s): Oral Health, Aging
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been the epidemiologist/evaluator of the oral health program at the Georgia Department of Public Health. I have conducted several surveys and analyzed data for the program including but not limited to oral health surveys among third grade children, head start children and older adults.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.