Elderly have barriers to proper dental care

An inability to pay for treatment, lack of transport to the dental office, and lack of perceived need are some of the biggest barriers to dental care for elderly patients, according to a new ADA survey.


The ADA Survey Center conducted the survey on behalf of the Council on Access, Prevention, and Interprofessional Relations in response to a resolution that called for initiatives related to the oral health of vulnerable elders, according to an ADA news article.

"As we learn more about the oral-systemic relationship of disease, and as our population ages, we as a council are increasingly concerned about the quality of life faced by those elderly who have dental needs and little or no ability to have them addressed," stated Jerald Boseman, D.D.S., a council member from Salt Lake City, in the article.

Other results from the survey include:

• In 2007, more than 92% of all dentists provided care to the vulnerable elderly -- patients who are over age 65 and have limited mobility, limited resources, or complex health status.

• More than 24% required dentists to consult with dental specialists, and more than 37% required dentists to consult with physicians.

• More than 68% of dentists said that they needed more information on managing patients with complex medical histories, managing xerostomia (63.6%), and managing dementia patients (49.1%).

• Some of the major barriers to care reported by the dentists included inability to pay for services (88.7%), lack of transportation to dentist's office (68.4%), inadequate financial support for care from local, state, and/or federal programs (65.5%).