Oral health is Essential to the Well-Being of Older People

Although the highest attainable standard of health is a fundamental human right, oral health is often not considered an important component of overall health. Older people experience poorer quality of life due to discomfort and uncleanliness of their mouth and there continue to be barriers within health systems that contribute to this poor oral health. This paper advocates for oral health to be considered part of the basic human right to good health care and discusses how stakeholders can collaborate and work together to begin to meet the needs of this population, proposing solutions and recommendations to bring about change. (Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 2021; 29:1053-1057)

Automated summary

Oral health should be considered a part of basic health care, as older people often experience a lower quality of life due to oral discomfort and uncleanliness, with barriers within health systems that need to be addressed.