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Oral health, general health, and quality of life in older people
Author(s) -
Kandelman Daniel,
Petersen Poul Erik,
Ueda Hiroshi
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
special care in dentistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.328
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1754-4505
pISSN - 0275-1879
DOI - 10.1111/j.1754-4505.2008.00045.x
Subject(s) - medicine , oral health , quality of life (healthcare) , disease , health promotion , public health , intervention (counseling) , periodontal disease , gerontology , environmental health , family medicine , nursing , dentistry , pathology
The purpose of this report is to review the interrelationship between poor oral health conditions of older people and general health. The impact of poor oral health on quality of life (QOL) is analyzed, and the implications for public health intervention and oral health care are discussed. Findings from the current research may lead to the following conclusions: The available scientific evidence is particularly strong for a direct relationship between diabetes and periodontal disease; the direct relationship between periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease is less convincing. General and associated oral health conditions have a direct influence on elder people's QOL and lifestyle. The growing number of elderly people challenges health authorities in most countries. The evidence on oral health–general health relationships is particularly important to WHO in its effort to strengthen integrated oral health promotion and disease prevention around the globe.