Oral Health in the Long-Term Care Facility

For a variety of reasons, residents of long-term care facilities often lack basic dental care, leading to poor nutrition, needless pain, medical complications, and unnecessary tooth loss. The "Healthy People 2010" initiative included a goal to reduce the number of older adults who have had all their natural teeth extracted, and increase the proportion of long-term care residents who use the oral health care system each year. Medication is a primary or contributing cause of oral problems. Although the overall incidence of dental disease is decreasing, around 50% of adults have some signs of periodontal disease; 35% have some root damage. Poor oral health in long-term care facilities has numerous causes and tragic results. Several steps, including calcium and vitamin D supplementation and careful medication monitoring can help prevent tooth loss, combat caries, and decrease periodontal disease.