Oral health of the 65+ age group in Israel-2020

Abstract

Background In 2019, a reform of dental services for older adults was implemented in Israel to improve access and reduce barriers that stood in their way. The reform stipulated that preventive and restorative dentistry would be included in the basket of services of the National Health Insurance Law. The current study was conducted by the Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute (MJB) and the Division of Dental Health of Israel’s Ministry of Health to examine the dental status and patterns of utilizations of dental services among the 65+ age group. This paper reports on the dental status of the 65+ age group in comparison with the same population two decades earlier. Goals To describe the dental status of Israel’s 65+ age group, and to identify the population at risk of dental morbidity. Methodology Telephone interviews were conducted with a representative sample of 512 older adults aged 65+, from February to April 2020. Main findings Some two-thirds of the 65+ age group assessed their oral health as good or very good. Twenty-four percent did not have natural teeth, while the rest had 19 teeth on average. Ten percent had not lost any teeth. In the 65–74 age group, 19% had no natural teeth and the rest had 20 teeth on average. In contrast, in the 85+ age group, 38% were edentulous and the rest had 13 teeth on average. Of the older adults who found it difficult to cover their monthly expenses, 39% were edentulous—twice the percentage of those who did manage to cover their monthly expenses (19%). Of the 65+ age group 44% had dentures—37% in the 65–74 age group, and 66% in the 85+ age group. Approximately 40% of the 65+ age group saw a dentist for preventive check-ups. The rest did not, mainly due to lack of awareness of the importance of doing so. Conclusions and recommendations The perceived status of oral health among the 65+ age group is currently better than it was 22 years ago. However, despite the improvement in oral health and health behavior, there are still barriers to the utilization of dental services. The main barriers are a lack of awareness of the importance of proper health behavior, and the cost of care for people with financial difficulty. This study provides decision-makers with data on the status of oral health, the utilization of dental services and the geographical disparities. The findings will help policy makers evaluate the effectiveness of the reform and fine tuning it in the future. Policies should be instated to increase awareness of constituencies and their access to the services, in addition to the entitlements the reform granted.

Uptake of dental hygienist services by the Israeli 65+ age group

“…The study presents a comprehensive picture of various aspects of the use of dental care services in the 65+ age group in Israel at the beginning of 2020. It was found in the study that 45% of the interviewees visited a dentist in the year preceding the interviews -a percentage higher than that found in a previous study conducted about two decades ago by Berg et al 3 where the corresponding percentage was 40%, but rather low compared with…”

“…Their dental status was reported elsewhere 8 : ‘Some two‐thirds of the 65+ age group assessed their oral health as good or very good. Twenty‐four percent did not have natural teeth, while the rest had 19 teeth on average.…”

“…The Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute in collaboration with the Division of Dental Health at the Ministry of Health initiated a study 3 with the aim of providing policy makers with the data required to Results: About 50% of the older adults aged 65 and over visited a dentist (2.9 visits on average) and 35% visited a dental hygienist in the year preceding the interviews. 17% reported never visiting a dentist and 45% never received care from a dental hygienist.…”

“…The Myers‐JDC‐Brookdale Institute in collaboration with the Division of Dental Health at the Ministry of Health initiated a study 3 with the aim of providing policy makers with the data required to better tailor the provision of dental care services to the older adult population, in line with the dental care reform and enabling the examination and identification of gaps in the consumption of dental care services between population groups with different economic status and district of residence.…”

Oral Health Knowledge, Attitude, and Behavior Among Health Professions’ Students at Kabul University of Medical Sciences

“…The dentist’s job should extend beyond the delivery of dental care because oral health encompasses much more than just having good teeth. 19 Consequently, dental health education programs that aim to improve oral health practices among the population are very important. Improving public awareness of periodontal health is an essential public health goal in Afghanistan.…”