June 08, 2009
Dr. Debora Matthews, a periodontist and professor in the Dalhousie Faculty of Dentistry, is the principal researcher on a study examining the oral health care needs of 1,200 rural and urban men and women aged 45 and up.
Baby boomers are retaining their teeth as they age, but the longer the teeth are kept, the more prone to dental decay and mouth disease they become without regular dental care. Some points to consider: only 30% of older adults visit a dentist annually, tooth decay is three times greater in older adults than those under age 45, over 400 medications can cause dry mouth, which can promote oral infections and decay, and previous research has shown links between oral disease, diabetes, heart disease and respiratory diseases.
Gael Page is a clinical consultant for Northwood, a long-term care, home-care and community outreach organization providing services to older adults in Halifax. Recognizing that oral health is an important component to overall health, Northwood has a dental clinic on-site whereas most long-term-care facilities do not.
Page has been partnering with Dalhousie’s Faculty of Dentistry for 10 years, contributing to studies examining dental problems faced by seniors. The rate of mouth diseases in seniors could be lowered if there were an oral health care co-coordinator working in every nursing home in the city to manage residents’ dental-care needs. Research helps to improve the practice of health care workers, and partnerships such as this is are key to Halifax remaining a “hotbed of health, medical and life sciences research”.
The article, “Outside the Ivory Tower” by Jane Doucet can be found in the June 2009 issue of Halifax Magazine. www.halifaxmag.com