Faculty of Dental Surgery highlights the holidays as a good time to spot oral health issues
The Faculty of Dental Surgery has highlighted the holiday period spanning Christmas and the start of the year as a good time to spot oral health issues, particularly in elderly people.
As families congregate for Christmas and New Year celebrations, which take place over a prolonged period of time, dentists say that this is a useful time to look out for potential signs of dental problems. Many people tend to see friends and relatives they haven’t seen for a period time in the New Year and this can often make it easier to detect changes in their health.
The Faculty of Dental Surgery recommends keeping an eye on people close to you, especially elderly relatives and suggests that being more vigilant could help to lower the risk of decay, gum disease, dental pain and oral sepsis. Warning signs that may have caused concern over the holidays include difficulty eating and chewing, speech problems and oral pain.
A report released by the Faculty of Dental Surgery in 2017 suggests that almost 2 million people over the age of 65 need dental treatment in the UK and the figure is set to rise by more than 50 percent in the next 20 years as a result of the ageing population.
Dean of the FDS, Professor Michael Escudier, said that many people may not be comfortable with the idea of actually peering into their relatives’ mouths, but looking out for signs like difficulty chewing, speaking and eating could flag up potential issues, which can then be remedied by a dentist.
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