By gum: good teeth mean more disease
AUSTRALIANS are more likely than ever before to have a full set of natural teeth, but the trend will lead to an epidemic of complex oral diseases not seen in past generations, dentists warn.
Having at least 20 teeth has traditionally been an indicator of good health and around 80 per cent of NSW residents are now in this category. Four out of 10 people have all their natural teeth.
But dentists are warning older Australians that keeping teeth for longer can increase the risk of oral health problems, including decay affecting the roots of teeth, serious gum disease (periodontal disease), extensive dental erosion and gum recession, commonly known as "getting long in the tooth".
Australian Dental Association president Dr John Matthews said a person aged in the 30s and below could expect to keep most of their teeth for life, thanks to fluoridated water, better hygiene products and general awareness about oral health.
The proportion of people who had all their natural teeth missing decreased substantially in NSW from 8.2 per cent in 1998, to 5.7 per cent in 2005.
But this trend means people must be even more careful about maintaining their teeth as they age.
"People aged 65 and older are the age group with the most dental problems due to wear and tear, less saliva production and they're more likely to be on multiple medications, which can cause dry mouth," he said.
Dental caries (tooth decay) and periodontal diseases (gum diseases) are two of the five most prevalent health conditions in Australia. Although preventable, almost half of Australians do not attend the dentist regularly.
"People spend a few hundred dollars on a car service but baulk at doing the same to keep themselves in good health," Dr Matthews said.
He said there has been a huge uptake of the $150 rebate paid towards a dental check-up for eligible teenagers aged 12 to 17 since it was introduced by the Rudd Government on July 1.
But he called on the Government to change its plans to abolish a Howard government scheme under which up to $4250 worth of dental care was available under Medicare for the chronically ill.
He said that through May 130,000 services had been performed under the scheme, which began in November. The plan continued to be popular, he said, and a move to axe the scheme has been held up in the Senate.
Prue Power, executive director of the Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association, said patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes could place further strain on general practice and the hospital system if they did not get regular dental care.
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