Introduction
Aging is a recognized trend that influences the demographic profile of a country (Health Department of Western Australia 2000). The Australian ageing population is a popular demographic change. Analysts project this trend to have a significant influence on the future size and constituent of the country’s population, growth, and government expenditure (AIHW Dental Statistics and Research Unit 2007). The process of aging is known to be a risk factor for a number of chronic diseases including oral conditions besides increasing the burden on the government budget and reducing economic growth (Kudrna & Woodland 2007). This paper will address the aging of the Australian population in relation to the implication of oral health.
Oral health
Oral health policies, such as Australia’s National Oral Health Plan (NACOH 2004) give priority to older adults within the Australian population. This position is largely because of two trends that have and continue to impact the oral health of this population (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2007). Firstly, the demographic trend of the population aging is characterized by an increasing proportion of older adults. This situation leads to an increase in the prevalence of a broad range of diseases related to older age among the Australian population of which gum disease and dental decay are the commonest (Sanders et al. 2009). Secondly, a reduction in frequencies of tooth loss culminates in an increase in the number and constituent of Australians maintaining their own natural teeth. Consequently, parallel to the observation of AHMAC Steering Committee for National Planning for Oral Health (2001), that those preserved teeth are predisposed to developing diseases of the mouth, and because of various influences of population aging, the number of cases of dental decay in older people is estimated to rise.
Prevalence
A variety of conditions constitute oral disease including tooth loss, dental decay, disease of the gum and tooth wear. Every indicator of tooth loss was more prevalent in sequentially older generations. Nonetheless, some of the major obvious differences were noted amongst 75-years-old and over relative to those aged between 55 and 74 years. Other indicators of oral disease that build up with age followed the same pattern of increasing rate of recurrence in progressively older generations. This indicators include filled teeth, dental wear, attachment loss, and gum recession.
Nearly one out of four individuals had untreated dental decay in the four generations; an equal proportion in every age group indicated gum inflammation, and the proportion of people with hollow gum pockets was same for all generations except the relatively youngest generation. The three measures are markers of active oral disease. National Survey of Adult Oral Health 2004-06 (AHIW Dental Statistics and Research Unit 2007) shows that overall measures of oral condition increased for sequentially older generations of Australians, though the extent of active oral condition were same among different generations of ageing group.
Conclusion and Recommendations
Increased support for promotion of oral health, sustained progress towards a scheme of universal dental care and development of staff options all needed attention to address the increasing demand for dental care in the future and to tackle dismal oral health outcomes, particularly for those relying on public dental care (SA Dental Service and Consortium Members 2009: Australian Dental Association Inc. 2006).
All citizens and residents of Australia can benefit from customized health promotion endeavors and expanded dental care alternatives such as use of full skill collection of dental professionals. In the same light, work continuing to sustain dental professionals to practice in remote and rural settings, and underserved urban areas, must continue and be strengthened (Roberts-Thomson et al. 2013). In settings where professionals do work in such settings, they should be supported to optimize the benefit of their skill collection (Chalmers 2003; National Advisory Committee on Oral Health 2004). Further, continued progress aimed at the long-term goals of general dental insurance of older adults as proposed by the National Advisory Council on Dental Health (National Advisory Council on Dental Health 2011) and the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission (National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission 2009).
References List
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