Study: Many state seniors lack dental care [Connecticut Post, Bridgeport]

Sept. 13--Many of the state's seniors don't see a dentist regularly and don't have dental insurance, according to a new report from the state Department of Public Health.

In 2012, the DPH surveyed a total of 845 seniors, about half of them at long-term care facilities and the other half at federally subsidized programs that serve meals to seniors. Researchers found a significant portion of those polled had some sort of dental problem -- such as untreated tooth decay -- but weren't receiving regular dental care, likely because they didn't have dental insurance.

"The purpose really was to get a snapshot of what the oral health was of older adults in Connecticut," said Linda Ferraro, DPH dental director and the study's lead author.

She said those screened at both the meal sites and the long-term care facilities were given dental exams, and those at the meal sites were also given a written survey to fill out.

The DPH researchers found that 42 percent of those screened at long-term care facilities and 29 percent of those polled at the meal sites needed dental care. More than half of those at the care facilities and about a quarter of those at the meal programs had untreated tooth decay.

But, despite their needs, many had not seen a dentist on a regular basis and didn't have access to dental insurance. Nearly 60 percent of those screened at the meal programs didn't have insurance. There wasn't a corresponding figure for those screened at the long-term care facilities because they didn't have a written survey.

The findings weren't shocking to Pat Knebel, grants manager for the Southwestern Connecticut Agency on Aging, a nonprofit agency providing support and advocacy for the region's elderly. "We hear this all the time from the seniors we serve," Knebel said.

She said improving dental care for the elderly is a key initiative of SWCAA, and the agency has already provided grants for dental care to some organizations that it works with.

Medicare, through which many seniors are covered, doesn't cover dental, and Medicaid only covers some dental care. Ferraro said that when the state's health care exchange opens for enrollment in October, people will be able to purchase dental plans, even if they're covered by Medicare.

Knebel said the importance of dental care is often overlooked, but healthy teeth are a key part of well-being. "If you don't have your teeth, then you can't have good nutrition," she pointed out. Ferraro added that there's some evidence that those with poor dental care also have higher rates of diabetes, heart disease and other chronic illness.

Ferraro said the study data will be used to help expand and improve dental coverage for seniors. The state has already launched a pilot program at the Noble Horizons Long Term Care facility in Salisbury to educate administrators and nursing staff about the importance of oral health. "Oral health is a vital component of overall health and well-being," Ferraro said.

[email protected]; 203-330-6290; twitter.com/AmandaCuda; http://blog.ctnews.com/whatthehealth/

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