The aim of this scoping review was to determine health-related impacts of poor oral health among community-dwelling seniors. Using MeSH terms and keywords such as elderly, general health, geriatrics, 3 electronic databases—Medline, CINAHL, and Age Line were searched. Title and abstracts were independently screened by 3 reviewers, followed by full-texts review. A total of 131 articles met our inclusion criteria, the majority of these studies were prospective cohort (77%, n = 103), and conducted in Japan (42 %, n = 55). These studies were categorized into 16 general health outcomes, with mortality (24%, n = 34), and mental health disorders (21%, n = 30) being the most common outcomes linked with poor oral health. 90% (n = 120) of the included studies reported that poor oral health in seniors can subsequently lead to a higher risk of poor general health outcomes among this population. Improving access to oral healthcare services for elderly can help not only reduce the burden of oral diseases in this population group but also address the morbidity and mortality associated with other general health diseases and conditions caused due to poor oral health. Findings from this study can help identify shortcomings in existing oral healthcare programs for elderly and develop future programs and services to improve access and utilization of oral care services by elderly.

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This prospective cohort study aimed to investigate the impact of maternal oral inflammation on human milk composition including neutrophil counts, activation state (based on cluster of differentiation (CD) markers expression), and fatty acid levels. Fifty mothers were recruited from St. Michael’s hospital, Toronto, and followed up from 2–4 weeks until 4 months postpartum. Oral rinse and human milk samples were collected at both timepoints. Oral polymorphonuclear neutrophils (oPMNs) within the rinses were quantified using flow cytometry and the participants’ oral health state was categorized into three groups (i.e., healthy, moderate, and severe) based on the oPMNs counts. Fatty acids were identified and quantified using a gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID). Compared to mothers with a healthy oral health state, mothers with moderate to severe oral inflammation had a statistically significant decrease in the expression of CD64 biomarker, an increase in the expression of CD14 biomarker on human milk neutrophils and a decrease in the levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5n-3) in their human milk at follow-up compared to baseline. This study demonstrates for the first time that maternal oral inflammation can affect human milk composition. The mechanism by which these alterations can affect infant health outcomes in the long term critically needs to be considered.

BackgroundPeriodontal diseases can negatively impact the oral health‐related quality of life (OHRQoL) of pregnant women. This study investigates the association between maternal oral inflammatory load (OIL), sociodemographic characteristics, and the OHRQoL in postpartum women.MethodsIn this cross‐sectional study, breastfeeding mothers were recruited from St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto within 2–4 weeks postpartum. Mothers were categorized into “Normal/low” and “High” OIL groups based on the absolute counts of oral polymorphonuclear neutrophils (oPMNs). The Oral Health Impact Profile‐14 questionnaire was used to assess the impact of the maternal OIL on the OHRQoL. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to examine the association between maternal sociodemographic factors including age, marital status, education level, employment status, parity, and their OHRQoL.ResultsForty‐seven mothers were included in this study. Mothers with high OIL reported higher impact on their OHRQoL (30%) than mothers with normal/low OIL (21%), but these differences were not statistically different. There was a negative relationship between the mother's education level and the extent of impact of OHRQoL on the “physical pain” dimension (p < 0.05), and between the mothers’ age and employment status and the “physical disability” dimension (p < 0.05). A positive correlation was noted between multi‐parity and the extent of impact of OHRQoL on the “physical disability” dimension (p = 0.009), and between the marital status and the “psychological disability” dimension (p < 0.05).ConclusionThis study highlighted the significant impact of sociodemographic characteristics on the OHRQoL of mothers, showcasing the importance of considering these factors when implementing targeted preventive dental care programs for mothers.