BACKGROUND: Oral health is vitally important for overall health and should be maintained across the life course. Dental decay and infection can cause significant health problems, amplify existing chronic diseases, and cause nutritional deficiencies among older adults. In 2014, only 66 percent of Florida adults age 65 and older had an annual dental visit and 73 percent had at least one permanent tooth removed. To better understand the oral health status and dental needs of Florida’s older adult population, the Florida Department of Health and partners conducted the 2015-2016 Older Adult Oral Health Screening Project, a first for Florida.
METHODS: The goal of the project was to assess the current oral health status of older adults, provide referrals to a local dental home for follow-up care and treatment, and promote optimal oral health through education. This screening project was a voluntary open-mouth standardized screening and surveillance of older adults age 60 and older attending congregate meal sites throughout Florida and followed established protocol for Basic Screening Surveys (BSS) published by the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors. Weighted data were then used to describe overall oral health status, and stratify by demographic characteristics of interest. Oral health indicators captured through this project include untreated decay, root fragments, need for periodontal care, suspicious soft tissue lesions, and treatment urgency.
RESULTS: Approximately one in three (37%) older adults had at least one oral health problem, the most common being early need for dental care (28.8%), untreated decay (22.9%), and root fragments (21.3%). Male participants had higher rates of all oral health indicators, with the exception of urgent need for dental care. Non-Hispanic Black adults had almost two times higher prevalence of root fragments (44.4%) when compared to their non-Hispanic White counterparts (25.5%). The data also revealed a disparity in oral health by educational status; as education level decreases, the percent of complete tooth loss increases. The prevalence of complete tooth loss was 35.6% among those with less than a high school degree, compared with 16.7% of those with a high school degree.
CONCLUSIONS: This project revealed poor oral health status and a high need for dental care in the older adult population. Florida is one of only nine states that have used the BSS methodology to assess the oral health status of the older adult population.