University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.
Int Dent J. 2017 Sep;67 Suppl 2(Suppl 2):19-25. doi: 10.1111/idj.12328.
Population ageing is a global phenomenon and is predicted to become one of the most significant social transformations of the 21st century. The anticipated demographic shift provides governments the opportunity to proactively align policies with the estimated demands for housing, transportation, social protection, and health and well-being. Oral health is a fundamental component of health and physical and mental well-being, and is influenced by the individual's changing experience, perceptions, expectations and ability to adapt to circumstances. As such, prevention of oral disease and maintenance of oral health contributes to the systemic health, well-being, and quality of life of older adults. Dental caries, periodontal disease, and tooth loss in older adults are global health concerns because they are highly prevalent worldwide, socio-economic inequalities contribute to these diseases, many of the risk factors are modifiable, and these diseases result in compromised oral health-related quality of life. Oral care must be tailored to the needs and level of dependency of older adults through the use of evidence-based approaches and inter-professional collaboration. The persistence of between countries and within countries oral health disparities indicate that population-based policies are also needed to address the underlying social, environmental, and economic causes of oral diseases.
人口老龄化是一个全球性现象，预计将成为 21 世纪最重要的社会变革之一。预计人口结构的转变为政府提供了一个机会，可以主动调整政策，以满足住房、交通、社会保护以及健康和福祉方面的预计需求。口腔健康是健康和身心健康的基本组成部分，受到个人不断变化的经历、感知、期望和适应环境能力的影响。因此，预防口腔疾病和维护口腔健康有助于提高老年人的整体健康、幸福和生活质量。老年人的龋齿、牙周病和牙齿缺失是全球关注的健康问题，因为这些疾病在全球范围内普遍存在，社会经济不平等加剧了这些疾病的发生，许多风险因素是可以改变的，这些疾病导致口腔健康相关生活质量受损。通过使用循证方法和跨专业合作，必须根据老年人的需求和依赖程度来定制口腔护理。国家间和国家内口腔健康差距的持续存在表明，还需要制定基于人口的政策来解决口腔疾病的根本社会、环境和经济原因。
