Oral health of the Latin American elders: What we know and what we should do—Position paper of the Latin American Oral Geriatric Group of the International Association for Dental Research

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this review was to gather information and discuss oral health status of older people in the Latin American and Caribbean region (LAC). Background: Scarce data are available to portrait the oral situation of older people in the region. Material and methods: This review paper is the result of a meeting of the IADR’s Latin American Geriatric Oral Research Group held in Porto Alegre, Brazil, in November of 2016, part of the activities of an IADR Regional Development Programme (RDP). A group of researchers from 8 countries of LAC held a discussion using 5 questions related to the oral health situation of older Latin Americans, the most appropriate strategies to face the problem and the challenges for the future, with an open discussion format. In a second step, a group of 6 experts refined the answers and reviewed the existent literature. Results: The review of the evidence revealed that only a few LAC countries have information, which suggests the need for multinational efforts to understand the oral health status and programmes in place. Of the few studies available, it is possible to observe poor oral health as a common feature of older adults in the region. Conclusion: There is a need for the development of national surveys and standardised tools for the assessment of oral health in older adults. Also, intense advocacy to modify and influence public health policies in the different countries of the LAC is strongly recommended.