By the age of 80, the elderly still have 20 teeth, which is the national oral health plan proposed by the World Health Organization, the "8020" plan. However, in the previous oral health epidemiological survey, less than 35% of the elderly over 80 years old in China have 20 teeth, and among the elderly aged 65 to 74, 86% have missing teeth and 10% are completely toothless. Numerous studies have shown that dental disease can cause or worsen systemic diseases such as coronary heart disease and diabetes. Therefore, the problem of "aging" should not be allowed to affect healthy living in later life.
September 20 is the 33rd National Tooth Day. In order to let the public understand that they can still have 20 functional teeth at the age of 80 and understand the importance of the "8020 Plan", on September 17, Changsha Stomatological Hospital held the "National Tooth Love Day, Dental Care My Best Oral Health Expert Free Clinic and Awarding Medal" public welfare activity in Youyi Road Hospital.
In August this year, Changsha Stomatological Hospital held the "Elderly Health Publicity Week" activity to find oral health experts ("8020" elderly people, that is, 20 functional teeth at the age of 80) for the whole society, and commended them during the National Tooth Love Day. On the 17th, the hospital conducted a one-on-one oral health questionnaire survey on the 12 oral health experts recruited by the search, established oral health files, photographed smiley faces, issued honorary certificates, and gave oral health gift packs and popular science books.
Oral health is a "mirror" of the health of the whole body
At the event site, the hospital set up an independent oral health expert love diagnosis area, periodontal mucosal experts one-on-one, free oral health examination for the elderly, etc., to formulate corresponding diagnosis and treatment plans and suggestions, forming a full-cycle dynamic management.
According to Dai Lixia, chief physician of the Special Clinic Center of Wuyi Road Hospital of Changsha Stomatological Hospital, in the "Healthy Oral Action Plan (2019-2025)" issued by the National Health Commission, the guiding ideology of "comprehensively improving oral health and helping the construction of a healthy China" was clearly put forward.
The oral health experience of the "8020" elderly can be summarized as "the teeth may not be old, and the high life expectancy may not be the tooth failure". Dai Lixia said that to achieve oral health, we must first pay attention to the prevention of common diseases in the oral cavity, such as caries (insect teeth), many elderly people have insect teeth, some teeth rot to the root, so they use a variety of home remedies, such as ice water, chewing peppercorns, etc., not only do not work, half of the face began to swell up; and dragged a few days to eat gunpowder, and finally people began to have fever, even breathing is not smooth, this is the medical treatment. After experiencing the personal experience of "toothache is not a disease, pain is fatal", I have a deep understanding of "oral health, whole body health".
Therefore, the elderly are required to brush their teeth at least twice a day and rinse their mouths after meals. When brushing teeth, pay attention to the quality of brushing teeth, so that "all aspects" are done, and the gaps between teeth are fully cleaned. Dental caries can be prevented with fluoride toothpaste, and desensitized toothpaste is an option for those with sensitive teeth. Regular oral cleaning, that is, scaling of teeth, is recommended 1 to 2 times a year. Regular oral examination can detect oral diseases and treat them early, which can reduce pain, shorten the course of treatment, and save treatment costs.
Common dental diseases are not treated, beware of the evolution into a "fatal" big problem
According to Dai Lixia, oral diseases are a global public health problem, and more than 350 million people worldwide suffer from chronic and progressive oral diseases. The most common and serious oral diseases in the world include caries, periodontal disease, oral cancer, and tooth loss.
"For example, the mouth of a patient with periodontal disease is like a reservoir of bacteria, which not only causes the gums and alveolar bone to shrink and the teeth to fall out, but the bacteria can also infect cardiovascular tissue through the blood, resulting in many systemic diseases." Dai Lixia said that a large number of studies have shown that periodontal disease, especially periodontitis, is an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease. The rate of preterm birth and the birth rate of low-weight babies in pregnant women with periodontal disease is 7.5 times that of the general population, and it will lead to an increase in the incidence of congenital heart disease in infants, affecting the development of the baby's brain. Periodontal infections affect endocrine metabolism, which in turn affects blood sugar control and the risk of diabetic complications.
In addition, the significant reduction of chewing function in patients with tooth deficiency will reduce the blood supply in some areas of the brain, which will exacerbate the atrophy and metamorphosis of some brain cells, eventually leading to memory loss and an increase in the incidence of Alzheimer's disease.
Clinically, it is often encountered that the local inflammation of the teeth is not effectively controlled in time, resulting in critical cases of osteomyelitis of the jaw, infection of the maxillofacial space and even bacteremia. These are all reminders that oral health is important because it is not only related to the teeth, but also has a close relationship with systemic and systemic diseases. Therefore, we remind everyone that when encountering toothache, do not hide the disease and avoid medical treatment, and go to the doctor early, which can save the cost of medical treatment and avoid evolving into a "fatal" big problem.
Poor living habits lead to oral cancer, which should be prevented and treated as soon as possible
A 68-year-old Mr. Wang, who began chewing betel nuts at the age of 40, was initially used to refresh his mind, chewing at least five or six berries a day. Not long ago, Mr. Wang found that it was difficult to open his mouth, he could not speak normally, and the mouth ulcers could not heal, so he came to Changsha Stomatological Hospital for treatment, and was finally diagnosed with oral cancer.
"The only treatment option at the moment is surgery, and you have to 'cut your face' to save your life." Dai Lixia said that the World Health Organization has listed betel nut as a first-class carcinogen as early as 2003, and the complete list of carcinogens released by the State Food and Drug Administration in 2017, betel nut fruit has also been listed as a class of carcinogens. Long-term chewing of betel nut, there will be oral mucosa whitish, hard, and then develop into oral mucosal fibrosis, resulting in limited opening of the mouth, tongue can not stick out, oral blisters, ulcers, leukoplakia, lichen planus, and eventually may occur cancerous. Therefore, it is necessary to quit the bad habit of chewing betel nut, quit smoking and limit alcohol, and avoid spicy food stimulation.
The digestion of food begins in the mouth, and dental health is the first step in digestion. Maintaining good teeth is essential for the elderly to consume adequate and balanced nutrition and promote the physical and mental health of the elderly. "Old teeth" is a wrong understanding, there are teeth to insist on brushing, old can not lose teeth, teeth are well maintained, 80 years old can have 20 available teeth.
Dai Lixia reminded that the elderly should eat less sweets and eat more fresh vegetables and melons. When you encounter stuffed teeth, brush your teeth immediately, rinse your mouth, or use a floss or interdental brush to clean it, avoid flossing your teeth with a rough toothpick. If you have toothache, bleeding gums and other uncomfortable symptoms, you should seek medical attention in time.
In addition, frequent percussion can promote periodontal blood circulation and improve the health of periodontal tissue; go to the dental hospital every six months for oral examination; follow the doctor's instructions to remove stumps and crowns, which can cause systemic infection; after 3 months of tooth loss or tooth extraction, it is necessary to insert teeth in time to maintain the integrity of oral dentition and restore the basic function of the oral cavity. (All-media reporter Yang Weiran correspondent Liu Fang)
Source: Changsha Evening News
![The dentist said that | people have old teeth, it is normal, is it true, why do people always think that "people are old and lose their teeth"? People are old? The real situation is how to prevent "people from getting old" caused by these common reasons Knowledge expansion one: Is diabetes related to tooth loss Knowledge expansion two: Missing teeth, how to repair Summary: People are old and lose teeth, this is an incorrect understanding, but also irresponsible for their own health. We need to correct our attitude, raise awareness, do a good job in daily oral maintenance, and deal with problems early. To achieve fewer dental problems and a permanent oral smile, let us reach the age of 80 and still have more than 20 teeth that can be used normally and healthily.[fig]](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAP///wAAACwAAAAAAQABAAACAkQBADs=)