Oral health assessment of independent elders in Texas.

BACKGROUND: The oral health status of older adults in North Texas is largely unknown. METHODS: This cross-sectional, pilot study used the Basic Screening Survey for older adults involving a self-administered questionnaire and oral screening examination of 155 adults aged 65 years and older, in four Dallas, TX settings, stratified socioeconomically. Recruitment occurred from July 2012 through March 2014. RESULTS: Participants were between 65 and 90 years of age. The sample was predominantly female (64%), reflecting Texas population diversity with 49.7% White, 34.2% Hispanic, 14.2% Black, and 1.8% others. Missing teeth number (P < .019), functional contacts, untreated decay, root decay (P < .05), tooth mobility, root fragments and need for emergency treatment (P < .021) differed significantly regarding site and ethnicity. Participants at the least affluent sites (two) evidenced significant unmet dental needs and suboptimal access to care. In contrast, those at the most affluent sites (also oldest participants) had good oral health and access to care. CONCLUSIONS: There are profound oral health disparities in urban North Texas based on socioeconomic status. These findings suggest that poor oral health is not inevitable in the elderly, as long as there is access to care. Larger-scale studies are required to broadly address oral health disparities among elderly Texans.

Oral Health Status of Independent Older Adults in Texas: An observational study comparing urban and rural areas.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the oral health needs of community-dwelling older adults participating in congregate meal centers and to determine whether differences exist in the oral health needs of older adult populations residing in urban versus rural communities in the state of Texas.Methods: Study participants were recruited at 6 congregate meal centers located in identified rural and urban communities in the greater metropolitan area of Austin, Texas. (N=78) Participants completed a validated, modified questionnaire containing 20 items on the following topics: self-reported oral health, tooth loss, dental insurance, frequency of dental visits, time since last dental visit, access to dental care, dry mouth, and oral cancer screening. Each participant received an oral health screening based on the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors Basic Screening Survey for Older Adults. The examiners received hands-on training prior to the study to ensure the validity of their findings and to test for inter-examiner reliability.The chi-square test of independence was performed to analyze the participants' responses on the Basic Screening Survey to identify any relationships between the variables.Results: There were no significant differences in oral health conditions of older adults residing in urban versus rural communities. Over 50% of the participants (64.9% urban; 56.1% rural) reported incomes below $15,000 and lacked dental insurance to cover all or a portion of their oral health care needs. Eighty-seven percent of the participants reported tooth loss due to dental caries, 35% required periodontal care, and 37% reported occasional and 43% reported frequent oral pain over the last 12 months.Conclusions: Oral health promotion and disease prevention is an emergent need for older adult populations residing in urban and rural communities of the state of Texas. Analysis revealed that the majority of the older adult populations in both settings to have financial and socioeconomic barriers to access preventative and restorative dental care services.