Hospitalization for Oral Health-Related Conditions of the Australian Ageing Population: Two Decades of Analysis

Abstract

The burden of oral health care increases among older people, with a profound challenge in utilising dental services in primary dental care settings. This study aimed to analyse two decades of nationwide hospital separation patterns due to oral health-related conditions among older people. Ageing population data were obtained from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, including people aged 65 years and older. All principal diagnoses of oral health conditions (ICD-10AM) were analysed in this study. The hospitalisation data included all separations of older people for the financial years 1998–1999 to 2018–2019. A total of 205,461 hospital separations were recorded for older people over a period of twenty-one years. More than 60% of these separations were collectively attributed to dental caries, disorders of teeth and supporting structures, diseases of the jaws, diseases of the pulp, and periapical tissues. However, the average rate of separations per 10,000 people due to dental caries was the highest among the dental conditions (8.68). Furthermore, the remaining oral health-related conditions predict an annual percentage increase in the rate that would compromise their oral health quality of life. Dental caries and its sequela seem to be the leading cause for oral health-related hospital admissions in Australia for people aged 65 and older. This could be an indicator of the inadequacy of disease management in the primary dental care setting.

Perspectives of Australian nursing educators on the preparation of nursing students for the care of older people's oral health

“…1,2 Due to blood-borne pathogens from the mouth, oral diseases worsen heart problems, diabetes, and pneumonia, leading to unplanned hospitalisations. [3][4][5] Poor oral health also increases the severity of complications arising from viral infections, including COVID-19. 6,7 Predominant oral health issues for older people include tooth decay, gum diseases, dry mouth, tooth wear, and oral cancer.…”

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“…2 Seniors are at increased risk of dental caries, particularly root caries, due to a myriad of reasons including alveolar bone loss/ gingival recession that results in exposed roots and large embrasure spaces, the use of dentures, lack of dexterity, poor oral hygiene, shift from complex to simple sugars, comorbid medical conditions and associated polypharmacy that could lead to xerostomia. A two-decade long study by Kamil et al 3 found that dental caries was the primary cause of oral health-related hospital admissions among seniors in Australia. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 4 dental caries treatment accounts for 10%-15% of the annual global healthcare expenditure.…”