‘‘We have a problem with poor oral health among older people which is only going to get worse over coming years,’’ University of Otago Faculty of Dentistry member Murray Thomson said.
New Zealand’s health sector was ‘‘unprepared for the ageing population’’ and ‘‘struggling to cope with high rates of dental disease and poor nutrition among older people,’’ Prof Thomson said in a 2018 Ageing Well National Science Challenge funding application.
This situation had been ‘‘exacerbated’’ by adult dental care being almost entirely provided through the private sector, he said.
The outcome was ‘‘very marked social and ethnic inequalities’’, particularly later in life, Prof Thomson said.
About half of all older New Zealanders would end up, towards the end of their lives, in aged residential care — a sector known for its dental decay-causing high-sugar diet, and for 15% of residents being clinically malnourished.
Recognising the increasing importance of oral health in healthy ageing, the Ministry of Health’s 2016 update of the Healthy Ageing Strategy had included oral health action points for the first time.
These sought to ‘‘improve oral health in all community and service settings’’ by developing clinical pathways for optimal dental care.
They were yet to be implemented, and the proposed research programme would help achieve them, he said.
He had been studying oral health issues among older people, including in residential care, for 30 years, and the nature and extent of the problem was now more clearly understood.
He also recently helped supervise a clinical dentistry thesis which highlighted oral health problems faced by people over age 65 while in residential care.
People living in aged residential care were ‘‘unable to access professional dental care’’ as easily as those living in their own homes, the thesis said.
Prof Thomson said that such oral health problems were evident throughout New Zealand, including in Dunedin.
An important first step had been taken in having oral health at least mentioned in the official service specifications for aged residential care.
However, making improvements would require a combined effort by the residential care sector, the ministry, the dentistry profession, and older people themselves, he said.
