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Teeth demonstrate wearing of enamel

Chipping and fracture lines of teeth

Teeth may turn dark colour

Pulp chamber canals are reduced in size resulting from deposition of secondary dentin

Limited amount of periodontal attachment loss occurs

Severe periodontitis occurs in 10.5-12% of population

(Lamster et al., 2016)

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Years of grinding and clenching teeth wears away outer layers of enamel

Exposure to acidic foods leads to erosion of the teeth, wearing away the layers of enamel

Weak enamel leads to high potential for fractures and breaks in the tooth

(Harvard Medical School, 2010)

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Progressive loss of sensitivity to thermal, chemical, and mechanical stimuli

Gustatory ability declines with age (tastebuds decline)

Oral mucosa's reaction to prosthesis with change

Chronic atopic process (loss of appropriate mucosal glands) in predominant with age

(Breustedt, 1983)

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Facts

68% of senior citizens have gum disease

13% of senior citizens have lost all of their teeth

26% of adults aged 75 and older have lost all of their teeth

The median age of an oral cancer diagnosis is 62

(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021)

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Abati, S., Bramati, C., Bondi, S., Lissoni, A., & Trimarchi, M. (2020, December 8). Oral cancer and precancer: A narrative review on the relevance of early diagnosis. MDPI. https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/24/9160

Breustedt A. (1983). Age-induced changes in the oral mucosa and their therapeutic consequences. International dental journal, 33(3), 272–280.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). Older Adult Oral Health. Centers for Disease Control and      Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/basics/adult-oral-health/adult_older.htm

Harvard Health Publishing. (2010). The aging mouth and how to keep it younger. Harvard Medical School. https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/the-aging-mouth-and-how-to-keep-it-younger

Lamster, I. B., Asadourian, L., Del Carmen, T., & Friedman, P. K. (2016). The aging mouth: differentiating normal aging from disease. Periodontology 2000, 72(1), 96–107. https://doi.org/10.1111/prd.12131

Lowcountry Family Dentistry. (2020). Dental erosion: What you eat & drink can impact teeth. https://lowcountryfamilydentistry.com/dental-erosion-what-you-eat-drink-can-impact-teeth/

McDowell, J. (2024). Caries: Risk Factors and Prevention . Smiles for Life Oral Health . https://www.smilesforlifeoralhealth.org/topic/caries-risk-factors-and-prevention/#:~:text=Caries%20can%20occur%20on%20the,those%2030%20years%20of%20age.

National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (US). (2021, December). Oral health in America: Advances and challenges (Section 3B, Oral health across the lifespan: Older adults). Bethesda, MD: National Center for Biotechnology Information. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK578296/

Oral Health Foundation. (2018, January 29). In their own words: Elderly people reveal what stops them visiting    the dentist. Oral Health Foundation. https://www.dentalhealth.org/news/in-their-own-words-elderly-  people-reveal-what-stops-them-visiting-the-dentist

Su, Y., Yuki, M., Hirayama, K., Sato, M., & Han, T. (2020). Denture Wearing and Malnutrition Risk Among     Community-Dwelling Older Adults. Nutrients, 12(1), 151. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12010151

Xu, F., Laguna, L., & Sarkar, A. (2019). Aging-related changes in quantity and quality of saliva: Where do we stand in our understanding?. Journal of texture studies, 50(1), 27–35. https://doi.org/10.1111/jtxs.12356

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74.1% of senior citizens wear dentures

Wearing dentures is associated with malnutrition

People who wear dentures have been known to eat significantly less meat and fish, which contain essential nutrients for the human body and when not supplemented into the diet in another form can negatively effect health

The use of dentures as an alternative to natural teeth provides only 1/4 of the biting power

(Su, Y et al., 2021).

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Quantity (flow rate) and quality (ion and protein composition, rheology, tribology) of saliva is affected with age

Consequences of decreased saliva production

Dry mouth (xerostomia)

Taste aberration

Poor oral hygiene

(Xu et al., 2019)

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As we age, there are more health problems and in turn more medications that will cause oral health issues

Variety of medications may causes dry mouth (xerostomia). The lack of saliva causes bad breath, an increase in bacteria in the mouth leading to tooth decay

Calcium channel blockers (popular medication for heart disease) can cause overgrowth in the gum tissue

Halitosis (burning tongue) is a side effect that can impair nutrition and problems with speech

(Harvard Medical School, 2010) (Bethesda, 2021)

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Common reasons why seniors do not seek dental care often are: anxiety, illness, high cost and the difficulty of going to the dentist

When surveyed seniors with illnesses expressed that if they felt that they were going to die soon it simply is not worth it to spend money on the dentist

Many seniors require medications and other health services to continue to living a life of the same quality and they prioritize these things over dental health

Due to the frequency of denture use for seniors, they feel that visits to the dentist are no longer required because they do not have teeth

(Oral Health Foundation, 2018)

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(Abati et al., 2020)

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(McDowell, 2024)

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Individuals over 60 years of age are 2x as likely to experience root caries as those 30 years of age

Risk factors:

High oral bacterial counts

Frequent consumption of sugar-containing foods

Inadequate fluoride exposure

Low socioeconomic status

Xerostomia related to medications or disease

Physical disabilities and dementia

Brushing and other oral hygiene activities become more difficult

Existing restorations or appliances

Recurrent caries common at site of existing restorations

(McDowell, 2024)

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More common in older adults and can go unnoticed

At risk from heavy tobacco and alcohol use

Median age of diagnosis of oral cancer is 69, survival rate is 90.9%

Oral cancer can be seen anywhere in the oral cavity

Oropharyngeal cancer can be seen back of the tongue, walls of the throat, tonsils and the pharynx.

HPV (human papillomavirus) is a risk factor that leads to oropharyngeal cancers

(Bethesda, 2021)

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Old-age can result in dexterity issues causing seniors to have difficulty flossing and brushing

Many seniors rely on others for hygiene practices and oral hygiene is often overlooked

Old-age can result in worsened memory, which means that seniors may forget to practice oral hygiene on some days

(Oral Health Foundation, 2018)

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It was studied that people with dementia had higher rate of developing oral diseases

People may forget to execute their daily oral health care habits and how to execute it

Forgetting to perform oral health care leads to increase in bacteria in the mouth, ultimately leading to extreme periodontal disease and tooth loss

(Bethesda, 2021)