Conditions like a toothache and oral sepsis also affect quality of life.
‘Poor oral health in the elderly was linked to malnutrition and pneumonia. We are letting them down when they need the most help. We do this by not having a joined up strategy to improve access to dental services’. – Michael Escudier, Dean of the FDS.
Call for regulators to include oral care in their inspections
The FDS is calling for health and social care professionals to have extra, regular training in oral health. They also want regulators to include oral care in their inspections and reports of hospitals and care homes.
The British Dental Association (BDA) requested a joined-up strategy is implemented to care for the over-65s.
In 2003 the BDA outlined 21 suggested improvements to the delivery of dentistry in the England. One was the concerns of oral health care for older adults. The government has only acted on seven of these suggestions to date.
The chair of the BDA, Mick Armstrong said: ‘Senior citizens, whether they are resident in care homes, or living at home independently or with support, all face significant barriers to accessing quality dental care. The complex and diverse needs of a growing group of vulnerable patients are going unmet. We urgently require a strategy that ensures oral health for the over-65s is no longer treated as an optional extra’.
At SpaDental we actively support the elderly to attend their dental examinations and any oral hygiene sessions advised by their dentist.
Require help?
If you require any additional support in either visiting or while you are at your dentist, please ask any of the clinical or reception staff for assistance.
More information
- Ask your dental team a question
- Dental care for older people – Oral Health Foundation