Older people need to be more vigilant than ever about oral health

« Back to Dental

Older people are living longer and keeping more of their teeth, which means that seniors need to be more vigilant than ever about oral health, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Over the past 20 years, the share of adults 65 and older with no teeth fell from about 32% to a record low of 17%, and among those 75 and older, it fell from 38% to 22%, according to a report from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. “More people are keeping more of their teeth for longer,” said Dr. Don Curtis, a professor at UCSF School of Dentistry. “So there’s more teeth to take care of and more teeth that are vulnerable to chronic disease.” These dental problems may include periodontal disease (gum disease), root cavities and oral cancer.

Read more here.