An oral health charity has highlighted a link found in a recent study between oral health and other problems later in life.

A study1 published recently in the Gerondontology journal found that poor oral health appeared to be independently associated with problems in later life.

The Australian research found that older people with muscular weakness, sudden weight loss or impaired mobility were substantially more prone to issues with their oral health.

The investigation linked frailty to a number of consequences for oral health including the ability to bite and chew food, as well as sensitivity to hot and cold foods and drinks.

The study was carried out by a team of researchers from the Monash Ageing Research Centre (MONARC), Monash Health and Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.

They examined 168 geriatric inpatients aged over 65 years over a six-month period and used previously validated tools to assess peoples' oral health, nutrition and frailty, while also using other data on demographics, co-morbidities, level of education and smoking/alcohol history.

Results showed that frail adults were more likely to feel self-conscious about their teeth, gums or dentures. They were also unhappy with how their teeth looked and frail adults tended to access dental care less often.

Charity, the Oral Health Foundation, said the study underlined a growing problem, given that in the UK, more than five million people aged over 65 experience significant health problems.

Foundation Chief Executive, Dr Nigel Carter said: 'In the UK, people are living longer than ever before. This will increase the amount of poor health, frailty and disability. In turn, it will create a series of challenges for how we care for the population's oral health.

'The first problems to occur are often because of a loss of dexterity. Limited mobility, no matter how small, can have an extremely large effect on our ability to care for our own health. In terms of oral health, this means effective toothbrushing becomes much harder. Balanced nutrition also becomes more difficult. This often leads to more frequent sugar consumption.

'Those with health problems are also more likely to be on medication. This makes unpleasant conditions like dry mouth far more common.'

The charity called on the government to take action and improve the provision of oral healthcare for older people.

'The availability of dentists needs to be urgently addressed,' added Dr Carter. 'There are also major barriers with transporting elderly people to the dentist while financial difficulties often become more common. Worryingly, there is also a poor knowledge and a lack of awareness of oral health amongst carers.

'All of these factors create an urgent need to move towards a more effective system for oral healthcare of our elderly.'