Canadian dentists are warning that ensuring good oral health is increasingly difficult as we get older.

Speaking with local reporters, one dentist, Dr. Mary McNally, who is an associate professor of dentistry at Dalhousie University, said: “The situation has changed from even a generation ago. Then, the profile would be quite different in long-term care. Now, many of the people have much higher needs.

“As well as living longer, the data show that they are frailer and more of them have dementia.”

But with great advances in dental hygiene as well as many older people deliberately choosing to look after their teeth, it is hoped old people will not present as many problems as was the case in the past. Echoing this, Dr. Peter Cooney, the chief dental officer for Canada, said: “We really have improved our oral health in the last 40 years. People are keeping their teeth much more. Only about six per cent of the Canadian population has full dentures.”

Canadian life expectancy is now 80.7 years a massive rise in just ten years from 78.4. The numbers of elderly people in 2021 is also expected to rise to 6.9 million. In 1996 this figure was 3.5 million.

However Dr. McNally takes a different view from Dr. Cooney. She feels with a growing elderly population much of the maintenance of oral health will fall onto the shoulders of carers. She said: “All of a sudden, the care sector has inherited people with lots of teeth, when, a generation ago, they would have had their teeth in a glass by the bed. Trying to brush someone else’s teeth is not easy, especially people with dementia.”

Dr. McNally also feels that this burden may not be worth it for either the carer or the elderly person. She suggests ensuring old people keep their teeth may not be in their best interests ultimately; particularly for those who develop dementia. “I hear quite commonly of people who have standing orders to have all their teeth removed if they ever get dementia,” she said.

Dr. McNally added: “Perhaps they are speaking with tongue in cheek, but risk factors do change over time. A lot of seniors are in great shape -the numbers are a reflection of the general population in a lot of ways, in terms of disease -until there’s an element of debilitation or frailty. Increased frailty puts older adults at risk and might impede oral hygiene. So might co-morbidities and certain medications.”