(By Dr. Joseph D. Lim and Dr. Kenneth Lester Lim)
BY THE MIDDLE of this century, one in four people will be aged 60 years and older. That’s around two billion people.
The United Nations estimates that regional life expectancy is now approaching 65 years in Africa and between 75 and 80 years in Asia, Europe, North America, Latin America and Oceania.
Oral health will be an essential component of their wellbeing. Universal health coverage (PhilHealth to us Filipinos) must include the coverage of dental care.
“This is an urgent global challenge,” says the FDI World Dental Federation’s (FDI) Oral Health for an Ageing Population Task Team. The FDI (Fédération Dentaire Internationale) is an international organization representing the dental profession, including dentists in the Philippines.
Ageing leads to a decline in the physical and mental functions needed for daily living, as well as increasing vulnerability to disease. In the oral cavity, loss of teeth, decline of chewing and swallowing functions, and reduced saliva production often occur.
“The systemic and oral health effects of ageing have a reciprocal relationship, affecting each other in a vicious cycle,” says Dr. Kakuhiro Fukai, Chair of the FDI Oral Health for Ageing Population Task Team of the Fukai Institute of Health Science in Switzerland.
This is particularly observable when it comes to chewing function, undernutrition and frailty, as well as oral health-related quality of life (QOL) and decline of social participation. Maintaining good oral health is crucial for lifelong QOL; good oral health contributes to the prevention of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), cognitive decline and frailty.
Good oral hygiene helps prevent dental caries or tooth decay, periodontal or gum diseases, tooth loss and oral functional decline, thereby contributing to healthy longevity. Oral health directly affects the ability to eat, talk and smile, which are essential functions for QOL. Receiving oral health care services must therefore be considered a universal right in all countries and regions.
These observations are based on scientific evidence. And they were considered during the 2015 World Congress on Dental and Oral Health Care for Healthy Longevity in Tokyo, hosted by the Japan Dental Association and co-organized by World Health Organization (WHO). The Oral Health for an Ageing Population (OHAP) project was launched.
Since then OHAP has produced a guide for managing the dental treatment of older adults, an oral health care pathway for older people, and a roadmap for healthy ageing. This was accomplished by developing and disseminating a web application to assist dental professionals in assessing frailty and oral frailty.
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Dr. Joseph D. Lim, Ed. D., is the former Associate Dean of the College of Dentistry, University of the East; former Dean, College of Dentistry, National University; Past President and Honorary Fellow of the Asian Oral Implant Academy; Honorary Fellow of the Japan College of Oral Implantologists; Honorary Life Member of the Thai Association of Dental Implantology; and Founding Chairman of the Philippine College of Oral Implantologists. For questions on dental health, e-mail jdlim2008@gmail.com or text 0917-8591515.
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Dr. Kenneth Lester Lim, BS-MMG, DDM, MSc-OI, graduated Doctor of Dental Medicine, University of the Philippines, College of Dentistry, Manila, 2011; Bachelor of Science in Marketing Management, De la Salle University, Manila, 2002; and Master of Science (MSc.) in Oral Implantology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany, 2019. He is an Associate Professor; Fellow, International Congress of Oral Implantologists; and Fellow, Philippine College of Oral Implantologists. For questions on dental health, e-mail limdentalcenter@gmail.com/PN
