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IJERPH
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Improving Oral Health for Older Adults
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Improving Oral Health for Older Adults

A Special Issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601) belonging to the section "Health Care Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 May 2027 | Viewed by 3702

Editors

Dr. Martin Lipsky

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Institute on Aging, Portland State University, Portland, OR 97201, USA
2. College of Dental Medicine, Roseman University of Health Sciences, Summerlin, NV 89135, USA
Interests: primary care; public health; health professions education; oral health
Prof. Dr. Man Hung

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. College of Dental Medicine, Roseman University of Health Sciences, Summerlin, NV 89135, USA
2. Division of Public Health, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
3. Department of Orthopaedics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
Interests: public health; artificial intelligence; assessment; education; healthcare

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

By 2030, the elderly population will increase so that one in every five residents, or more than 70 million Americans, will be 65 or older. As the population ages, so will the burden of chronic disease. Among the most common diseases affecting older adults are chronic diseases of the oral cavity, including dental infections (e.g., caries, periodontitis), tooth loss, mucosal lesions, and oral cancer. These conditions can adversely affect nutrition, self-esteem, quality of life, and general health. Oral health’s association with general health, morbidity, and mortality in older adults highlights its importance for healthy aging. Adding to this is the fact that many older adults have unmet needs, do not see a dentist annually, or reside in long-term care settings with poor access to oral health care.

This Special Issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH) focuses on oral health and older adults. New research papers, reviews, case reports, and conference papers are welcome for this issue. Papers dealing with data-driven approaches to improve oral health in older adults  are especially desirable.  Position papers, brief reports, and commentaries are also welcome.

Advancements in oral health will encompass many disciplines, and as such we encourage submissions from diverse disciplines, including dentistry, dental hygiene, public health, epidemiology, intervention studies, risk and health impact assessments, risk management, and health economics. 

Dr. Martin S. Lipsky
Prof. Dr. Man Hung
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • oral health
  • older adults
  • elderly
  • general health
  • long term care
  • geriatric dentistry
  • dentistry
  • periodontal diseases
  • edentulism
  • access to care
  • xerostomia
  • caries

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 320 KB  
Article
Dental Treatment Needs and Cost Burden Among Older Adults: A K-Means Cluster Analysis to Inform Oral Health Policies
by Burcu Aksoy, Şükrü Can Akmansoy, Yasemin Özkan and Gonca Mumcu
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2026, 23(6), 797; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph23060797 - 14 Jun 2026
Viewed by 562
Abstract
Oral health problems among older adults represent a growing public health concern due to increasing life expectancy and treatment needs. This study aimed to assess dental treatment needs and cost burden within the context of oral health policies. This retrospective study included anonymized [...] Read more.
Oral health problems among older adults represent a growing public health concern due to increasing life expectancy and treatment needs. This study aimed to assess dental treatment needs and cost burden within the context of oral health policies. This retrospective study included anonymized data from 250 patients aged ≥65 years (F/M: 121/129; 65–89 years). Sociodemographic characteristics, treatment needs, and costs were obtained from the Hospital Information Management System (HIMS). Costs were adjusted to 2025 Turkish lira values using the Consumer Price Index and converted to international dollars using purchasing power parity (PPP). Patients were classified by total treatment costs using K-means cluster analysis. Periodontal (61.2%), restorative (36.0%), and endodontic (41.2%) treatment needs, which are largely preventable through oral hygiene practices, were more frequent among patients with a lower mean age, whereas tooth loss and prosthodontic treatment needs (89.6%) increased with mean age. Cluster analysis identified two groups: a low-cost group (67.6%) and a high-cost group (32.4%). The high-cost group had a lower mean age (68.84 ± 4.27 years) compared to the low-cost group (70.73 ± 5.18 years), indicating that relatively younger patients needed more complex and costly treatments. Out-of-pocket payments were notable for prosthodontic and surgical treatments, although Social Security Institution (SSI) payments constituted most of the costs. Preventive and early dental care strategies are essential to reduce treatment complexity and cost burden among older adults within the framework of oral health policy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Improving Oral Health for Older Adults)
19 pages, 2897 KB  
Article
Oral Function, Frailty and Mortality in Older Adults: Evidence from the Chilean National Health Survey 2016–2017
by Gustavo Sáenz-Ravello, Mauricio Baeza, Laura Sáenz-Ravello, Carol Guarnizo-Herreño and Jorge Gamonal
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2026, 23(4), 538; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph23040538 - 21 Apr 2026
Viewed by 1225
Abstract
Background: Oral health is an often-overlooked component of healthy ageing, as a sign of cumulative functional decline. This study explored the association between oral functional status and all-cause mortality. Methods: This was a secondary analysis of the 2016–2017 Chilean National Health Survey linked [...] Read more.
Background: Oral health is an often-overlooked component of healthy ageing, as a sign of cumulative functional decline. This study explored the association between oral functional status and all-cause mortality. Methods: This was a secondary analysis of the 2016–2017 Chilean National Health Survey linked to mortality records through December 31, 2022. In total, 223 participants aged ≥ 60 years were included (N = 1,016,557). Minimum dentition (MD) was defined as ≥10 teeth, prosthesis use was self-reported, and frailty was assessed using a modified Fried phenotype. Survey-weighted Cox models estimated associations with all-cause mortality, adjusting for age, sex, area, education, frailty, diabetes, and hypertension. Results: In the survey-weighted Cox model, each category representing MD and/or prosthesis use was associated with lower mortality hazards compared with the reference group (<10 teeth and no prostheses): prostheses only (HR 0.17, 95% CI 0.05–0.61), MD only (HR 0.16, 95% CI 0.04–0.74), and MD with prostheses (HR 0.08, 95% CI 0.01–0.46). Increasing age and rural residence were associated with higher mortality hazards, whereas estimates for sex, education, frailty, diabetes and hypertension were imprecise and generally compatible with no clear association. Conclusions: These findings are hypothesis-generating and support further evaluation of oral functional status as a marker of broader health vulnerability in aged Chileans. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Improving Oral Health for Older Adults)
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Review

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14 pages, 339 KB  
Review
Dental Caries in Older Adults: A Narrative Review for Non-Dental Providers
by Martin S. Lipsky, Lucia Romero, Owen Cohen, Sajjan Dhasi, Lily Overman and Man Hung
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2026, 23(8), 965; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph23080965 - 26 Jul 2026
Viewed by 664
Abstract
Dental caries is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases affecting older adults and remains an important, underrecognized contributor to pain, impaired nutrition, systemic illness, and reduced quality of life. Older adults access medical care more often than dental care, positioning non-dental clinicians [...] Read more.
Dental caries is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases affecting older adults and remains an important, underrecognized contributor to pain, impaired nutrition, systemic illness, and reduced quality of life. Older adults access medical care more often than dental care, positioning non-dental clinicians to identify risk, initiate prevention, and facilitate timely referral. A narrative review of English-language literature was conducted using PubMed and Google Scholar. Search terms included “dental caries,” “root caries,” and “older adults.” Sources included original studies, clinical guidelines, consensus statements, and high-quality reviews, with an emphasis on relevance to older adults and applicability to non-dental clinicians. Dental caries in older adults commonly presents as root and recurrent decay and isstrongly associated with xerostomia, polypharmacy, chronic disease, functional impairment, cognitive decline, and limited access to dental care. The literature supports fluoride-based prevention, management of salivary dysfunction, dietary counseling, minimally invasive therapies such as silver diamine fluoride, and interprofessional care models. Non-dental providers play a critical role in screening, risk assessment, preventive counseling, symptom triage, and referral. Integrating oral health into routine medical care is an essential and achievable strategy to reduce morbidity and improve health outcomes in older adults. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Improving Oral Health for Older Adults)
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