Oral Health of Older Adults in Washington State.

Purpose: An aging population, combined with increasing tooth retention, could significantly impact the dental care delivery system. The purpose of this study was to assess self-reported oral health and the factors associated with oral health outcomes among a random sample of older adults in Washington State.Methods: A telephone survey of adults 55+ years was used to collect information on factors associated with oral health, plus four outcome variables; substantial tooth loss (6+ teeth lost), oral problems, oral pain, and poor health of teeth. Data were weighted to reflect the state's age and gender statistics.Results: A total of 2,988 older adults completed the survey during 2017. Substantial tooth loss (18%), oral problems (17%) and oral pain (13%) were the most frequently reported issues. Of the adults with teeth, 17% reported fair/poor health of teeth. Compared to adults with an income of $75,000 or more, adults with an income less than $25,000 were twice as likely to have substantial tooth loss and oral problems (OR=2.1 and 2.2, respectively) and were three times more likely to report oral pain and poor health of teeth (OR=3.1 and 3.3, respectively). The oldest old (adults 75+ years), as compared to those 55-64 years, were significantly more likely to have substantial tooth loss (OR=2.6) but were less likely to report oral problems (OR=0.6), pain (OR=0.3), or poor health of teeth (OR=0.5).Conclusions: Although the majority of Washington's older adults report having good oral health, a small subgroup has oral problems which may have a negative impact on quality of life.

Delivering preventive oral health services in pediatric primary care: a case study.

Dental disease, the most prevalent chronic disease of childhood, affects children's overall health and ability to succeed. Integrating oral health into routine well-child checkups is an innovative and practical way to prevent dental disease. The Washington Dental Service Foundation is partnering with Group Health Cooperative, a large integrated delivery system, and other providers in Washington State to change the standard of care by incorporating preventive oral health services into primary care for very young children. This paper describes systemic and policy changes for engaging primary care providers in oral health, including provider training, expanding access to dental care, and reimbursement.