Report: seniors' oral health in decay.What would Bucky Beaver (of Ipana toothpaste "brusha, brusha, brusha" fame) think about today's seniors' oral health? He wouldn't be smiling if he read a report by the advocacy group Oral Health America that gave the nation a "D" for older Americans' access to key dental services. Fourteen states and Washington, D.C., received Fs for older adult dental coverage; 29 received Ds. California and New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of had the highest grade--C+ (figure). [FIGURE OMITTED] "Dental care for our nation's seniors remains in a state of decay State of Decay is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from November 22 to 13 December, 1980. The serial was the second of three loosely connected serials known as the E-Space Trilogy. ," said Robert Klaus, president of Oral Health America. "Too many older Americans suffer in silence as their oral health and periodontal periodontal /peri·odon·tal/ (per?e-o-don´t'l) 1. pertaining to the periodontal ligament or periodontium. 2. near or around a tooth. per·i·o·don·tal adj. 1. needs are neglected. They deserve better and we need to do more." More than 80% of seniors in 16 states have no private dental insurance Dental insurance is insurance designed to pay the costs associated with dental care. Dental insurance pays a portion of the bills from dentists, hospitals, and other providers of dental services. , said Oral Health America, in contrast to Hawaii and California, where more than 50% are insured. Nearly half the states only provide adult dental Medicaid coverage in life-threatening or emergency situations. Even in states with Medicaid dental coverage, seniors have difficulty finding dentists that will accept the lower Medicaid payments. Medicare provides no coverage for routine dental care. "Poor oral healthcare causes millions of vulnerable seniors to suffer needlessly," said Sen. John Breaux John Berlinger Breaux (last name pronounced BRO) is a former United States senator from Louisiana who served from 1987 until 2005. He was also a member of the U.S. House from 1972 to 1987. He was considered one of the more conservative national legislators from the Democratic Party. (D-La.), ranking member of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, to which Oral Health America presented the report in the fall. "Too often, these problems are underestimated, ignored, or not detected until far too late, resulting in serious disease and even death. We must make oral healthcare a priority in helping care for our nation's seniors." Liz Rogers, director of communications Director of Communications is a position in the private and public sectors. The Director of Communications is responsible for managing and directing an organization's internal and external communications. at Oral Health America, told Nursing Homes/Long Term Care Management that the study did not specifically address long-term care long-term care (LTC), n the provision of medical, social, and personal care services on a recurring or continuing basis to persons with chronic physical or mental disorders. residents' oral health, but she suspects every state would fail on providing oral healthcare to seniors in long-term care facilities long-term care facility n. See skilled nursing facility. . Residents that can be transported to dentists' offices are likely to have better access to oral care, she said, because regional dentist shortages mean that the number of dentists that visit facilities is slim. Rogers recommended that caregivers remember to look in residents' mouths when assessing overall health. "Many times, residents are beautifully taken care of, but no one has thought about oral health and oral healthcare," she noted. To read the report, funded in part by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, visit www.oralhealthamerica.org. |
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