scholarly journals The safety of dental care for older adults during COVID-19 pandemic era

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramya Shenoy ◽  
Violet D’Souza ◽  
M. Roma
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Dental Care

Dental Care Use, Edentulism, and Systemic Health among Older Adults

2021 ◽  
pp. 002203452110190
Author(s):  
C.D. Meyerhoefer ◽  
J.V. Pepper ◽  
R.J. Manski ◽  
J.F. Moeller
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Heart Disease ◽  
Chronic Illness ◽  
Dental Care ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Positive Correlations ◽  
Systemic Health ◽  
Time Invariant ◽  
Retirement Study

Past research suggests there are systematic associations between oral health and chronic illness among older adults. Although causality has not yet been credibly established, periodontitis has been found to be associated with higher risk of both heart disease and stroke. We advance this literature by estimating the direct association between dental care use and systemic health using multiple waves of the 1992 to 2016 Health and Retirement Study. Through the inclusion of individual fixed effects in our regression models, we account for unobservable time-invariant characteristics of individuals that might otherwise bias estimates of the association between dental care use and health. We find statistically significant negative associations between dental care use and the number of health conditions, self-reported overall health, the incidence of heart disease, and the incidence of stroke. In particular, the use of dental care within the past 2 y is associated with a 2.7% reduction in the likelihood of being diagnosed with a heart condition and a reduction in the likelihood of a stroke diagnosis of between 5.3% and 11.6%. We also find large positive correlations between edentulism and the measures of chronic illness. Associations from models estimated separately for men and women are qualitatively similar to one another. These findings provide additional motivation for the consideration of a Medicare dental benefit.

scholarly journals Social and Behavioral Factors, Oral Health, and Dental Care Utilization

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 799-800
Author(s):  
Bei Wu ◽  
Stephen Shuman ◽  
Elisa Ghezzi
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Oral Health ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Dental Care ◽  
Care Utilization ◽  
Behavioral Factors ◽  
Dental Care Utilization ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The U.S

Abstract Oral health status and dental care utilization is strongly associated with social and behavioral factors and health outcomes. The five papers in this symposium address how several of these factors affect oral health and dental care among diverse groups of older adults. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study, the first paper examined the impact of early childhood disadvantages on oral health in later life among adults age 51 and above in the U.S. The second paper used large-scale epidemiological data that addressed the relationship between acculturation and subsequent oral health problems. It also tested the moderating role of neighborhood disorder in such a relationship among older Chinese Americans. The third paper demonstrated the importance of examining different pathways among foreign-born and native-born Chinese older adults with regard to offspring’s support on their oral health outcomes. While increasing evidence shows that cognitive function is associated with oral health, limited studies have been conducted to examine the impact of cognitive impairment, e.g., Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and related dementias (RD), on dental care utilization and costs in older adults. The fourth paper aimed to address this knowledge gap. Results showed that AD and RD had different impacts on different types of dental care utilization and costs. The fifth paper further displayed that individuals with cognitive impairment face a significant challenge in handling dental-related medications. This symposium provides policy and clinical implications on improving oral health and dental care utilization among older adults in the U.S. Oral Health Interest Group Sponsored Symposium.

scholarly journals The Role of Delay of Care in Depression among US Middle-Aged and Older Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic:: A Secondary Data Analysis (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Luo
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Dental Care ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Binary Logistic Regression ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Delay Of Care ◽  
Middle Aged Adults ◽  
Univariate Analyses

BACKGROUND The depression level among US adults significantly increased during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and age disparity in depression during the pandemic were reported in recent studies. Delay or avoidance of medical care is one of the collateral damages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and it can lead to increased morbidity and mortality. OBJECTIVE The present study aims to assess the prevalence of depression and delay of care among US middle-aged adults and older adults during the pandemic, as well as investigate the role of delay of care in depression among those two age groups. METHODS This cross-sectional study used the 2020 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) COVID-19 Project (Early, Version 1.0) data. Univariate analyses, bivariate analyses, and binary logistic regression were applied. US adults older than 46 years old were included. Depression was measured by Composite International Diagnostic Interview Short Form (CIDI-SF). Delay of care were measured by four items: delay of surgery, delay of seeing a doctor, delay of dental care, and delay of other care. Univariate analyses, bivariate analyses, and binary logistic regression were conducted. RESULTS More than half of participants were older than 65 years old (58.23%) and 274 participants (8.75%) had depression during the pandemic. Delay of dental care was positively associated with depression among both middle-aged adults (OR=2.05, 95%CI=1.04-4.03, P<0.05) and older adults (OR=3.08, 95%CI=1.07-8.87, P<0.05). Delay of surgery was positively associated with depression among older adults (OR=3.69, 95%CI=1.06-12.90, P<0.05). Self-reported pain was positively related to depression among both age groups. Middle-aged adults who reported higher education level (some college of above) or worse self-reported health had higher likelihood to have depression. While perceived more loneliness was positively associated with depression among older adults, financial difficulty was positively associated with depression among middle-aged adults. CONCLUSIONS This study found that depression among middle-aged and older adults during the pandemic was also prevalent. The study highlighted the collateral damage of the COVID-19 pandemic by identifying the effect of delay of surgery and dental care on depression during the pandemic. Although surgery and dental care cannot be delivered by telehealth, telehealth services can still be provided to address patients’ concern on delay of surgery and dental care. Moreover, the implementation of tele-mental health services is also needed to address mental health symptoms among US middle-aged and older adults during the pandemic. Future research that uses more comprehensive CLINICALTRIAL N/A

34. Racial/Ethnic Minority Older Adults’ Perspectives on Proposed Medicaid Reforms’ Effects on Dental Care Access

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary E. Northridge ◽  
Ivette Estrada ◽  
Eric W. Schrimshaw ◽  
Ariel P. Greenblatt ◽  
Sara S. Metcalf ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Ethnic Minority ◽  
Dental Care ◽  
Care Access ◽  
Racial Ethnic

Edentulism and Trajectories of Cognitive Functioning Among Older Adults: The Role of Dental Care Service Utilization

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 744-752 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sae Hwang Han ◽  
Bei Wu ◽  
Jeffrey A. Burr
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Service Utilization ◽  
Dental Care ◽  
Care Service ◽  
Health Care Expenditures ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Dental Services

Objective: This study examined the associations between edentulism, dental care service utilization, and cognitive functioning trajectories among older adults. Method: Longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study (2006-2014) were employed to examine individuals aged 51 and older who were identified as having normal cognition at baseline ( N = 12,405). Cognitive functioning was measured with a modified version of the Telephone Interview for Cognition Status. Edentulism was self-reported as total tooth loss at baseline. Dental care service utilization was measured by self-report of having visited a dentist at least once during the previous 2 years. Results: The results indicated that edentulism and dental care service utilization were independently associated with cognitive decline during the observation period. Findings also showed that dental care service utilization moderated the association between edentulism and cognitive decline. Discussion: The findings suggested that providing access to dental services may promote cognitive health and potentially reduce health care expenditures.

Neighborhood Disorder, Social Ties, and Preventive Healthcare Utilization among Urban-Dwelling Older Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (10) ◽  
pp. 1387-1398
Author(s):  
Kenzie Latham-Mintus ◽  
Ashley Vowels ◽  
Swapnali Chavan
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Dental Care ◽  
Social Ties ◽  
Binary Logistic Regression ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Screening Colonoscopy ◽  
Neighborhood Disorder ◽  
Preventive Healthcare ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Restricted Use

Objectives: This research examines whether perceived neighborhood disorder influences the use of preventive healthcare services (i.e. influenza vaccine, pneumonia vaccine, cholesterol screening, colonoscopy, and dental care) by older adults and whether social ties buffer the potential adverse effects of perceived neighborhood disorder. Methods: Using data from the 2012 wave of the Health and Retirement Study, binary logistic regression was used to generate odds ratio estimates of preventive healthcare use in the past 2 years. Results: We find that greater levels of neighborhood disorder were associated with fewer dental care visits net of social and health factors. Regular participation in four or more social activities was associated with decreased odds of restricted use and increased odds of receiving a pneumonia vaccine and colonoscopy. Discussion: This research provides evidence that perceived neighborhood disorder may act as a barrier for specific preventive healthcare services and highlights the need for targeted intervention.

scholarly journals The Impact of Expanded National Health Insurance Coverage of Dentures and Dental Implants on Dental Care Utilization among Older Adults in South Korea: A Study Based on the Korean Health Panel Survey

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (17) ◽  
pp. 6417 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jin-Sun Choi ◽  
Se-Hwan Jung
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Insurance ◽  
Dental Implants ◽  
National Health Insurance ◽  
Dental Care ◽  
Insurance Coverage ◽  
Care Utilization ◽  
Sociodemographic Characteristics ◽  
Panel Survey ◽  
The Impact

In South Korea, the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) began its coverage of dentures and dental implants for older people in 2012 and 2014, respectively. This study aimed to investigate the impact of these policies on dental care utilization among people aged 65 years or older according to their sociodemographic characteristics. Data were collected from the Korea Health Panel Survey (KHP; years 2012 and 2015). The statistical significance of the relationships between sociodemographic characteristics and the use of outpatient dental care, denture, and dental implant were analyzed. Results showed an increase of 5.7%, 1.4%, and 2.8% in the use of outpatient dental care, denture, and dental implant, respectively, over the course of three years. Including dentures increased its use by 2.5–3.7 times among people aged 70 years or older. Including dental implants alleviated the disparities among older adults based on age groups and duration of education, except those among uneducated people; however, it caused inequity according to household income. Some Korean older adults remain neglected from the benefits of the expanded NHIS. Therefore, older adults’ access to dental care should be enhanced by the implementation of policies to promote oral health care utilization, dental prosthetic services, and older adults’ insurance coverage.

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