A Tale of Two Men and Their Teeth
A Tale of Two Men and Their Teeth
By Neha Dewan, MPT PhD
It is the best of times because the two men I love live with me. It is the worst of times because they have toothsome problems.
My name is Neha Dewan. I live with my husband and am a caretaker for my father. My husband Vivek Sharma is a 35-year-old Canadian citizen with limited private dental coverage. My 68-year-old father Ramnik Dewan recently came from India for a six-month visit. He was not that frail, but we did worry about him falling if we could not keep him well nourished. I had bought a private $100,000 dental insurance plan for him, covering $1,000 for emergency dental care. Some time ago, my dad broke his tooth while eating and experienced severe bleeding from his mouth for several days. He tried home remedies to avoid an expensive dentist visit, but none helped. We went to a nearby dentist and paid out of my pocket. His dental problem did not meet the eligibility criteria for reimbursement by the private insurer. My husband then reported similar symptoms of tooth pain and gum bleeding. He was partly covered by his benefit plan for the subsequent dental consultation.
Although my father and husband visited two different dentists, both were told that there was an infection and were prescribed antibiotics, pain killers and mouth wash. Both of them were advised to get the Root Canal Treatment (RCT) and crown for their involved teeth. For my husband, it would be his third RCT on the same tooth as he had the RCT and capping several months ago and initially two years ago. Unfortunately, his benefit plan did not cover the cost for his crown and only partially cover the RCT cost. The estimate for my husband was $6,000 for two teeth. Private insurance did not cover the similar $6,000 cost for my father. I did not want them growing frail and falling, but dental care can be enormously expensive and mentally stressful, especially when expenses are out-of-pocket!
Over the period of last two years, my husband lost weight and was diagnosed with multi-vitamin deficiency. It is difficult to chew healthy food with a painful mouth and we need good nutrition to be healthy and strong. Recent studies, such as Nutrition Risk is Associated With Falls Risk in an Observational Study of Community-Dwelling, Rural, Older Adults illustrate how tooth loss, lack of dentures and poor oral health can lead to fall related injuries. The men in my family are not the only people who have had new health issues due to being unable to afford adequate dental care. We need campaigns emphasizing the role of oral health for adequate nutrition and good overall health to avoid chronic illnesses and injurious falls. We have formed a group to support this. You are invited to help us promote Oral Care Awareness and Affordability. Contact mthomas@parachute.ca to join our advocacy group and to access information on further Rapid Review references related fall prevention and oral care.
Neha Dewan MPT PhDPostdoctoral Fellow/Research Associate IKITE | Toronto Rehab | University Health Network(289) 698-3281 | neha.dewan@uhn.ca
Neha Dewan is a postdoctoral fellow and research associate working at Toronto Rehabilitation Institute-KITE, University Health Network. Apart from research, she is keen on promoting healthy aging and accessibility for people of all abilities, especially oral care. She loves to be outdoors and spending time with family, close friends and nature.
Sources:
Websites and Internet Resources
McMaster Optimal Aging Portal. Is it time to brush up on your oral health? [Internet]. Hamilton (ON) McMaster University. [modified 2022 Mar 29]; Hitting the Headlines section. Available from: https://www.mcmasteroptimalaging.org/hitting-the-headlines/detail/hitting-the-headlines/2022/03/29/is-it-time-to-brush-up-on-your-oral-health
McMaster Optimal Aging Portal. Brushing teeth can save lives! The quality of oral health among seniors points to neglect and shows we need to 'brush up' on mouth care [Internet]. Hamilton (ON); McMaster University. [modified 2014 Sep 28]; Blog post. Available from https://www.mcmasteroptimalaging.org/blog/detail/blog/2014/09/28/brushing-teeth-can-save-lives-the-quality-of-oral-health-among-seniors-points-to-neglect-and-shows-we-need-to-brush-up-on-mouth-care?sid=a3a7ac3a-52b7-4eb8-92d6-302a3c0ec034&hl=oral+health
Ontario Dental Hygienists' Association (ODHA). Oral Health Facts. [Internet]. Burlington (ON); ODHA. [n.d.]; Available from: https://odha.on.ca/your-oral-health/oral-health-facts/
Ontario Dental Hygienists' Association (ODHA). Oral Care for Seniors. [Internet]. Burlington (ON); ODHA. [2021 Nov]; Oral Health Information Sheets. Available from: https://odha.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/ODHA-Facts-seniors.VFS21.11.pdf
Healthy Populations Institute: Putting 'Oral Health is Health' Into Action Flagship Project. [Internet]. Halifax (NS); Dalhousie University, Faculties of Dentistry and Health. [2022]. Available from: https://www.healthypopulationsinstitute.ca/oralhealth.
Healthy Populations Institute: Oral Health Flagship Project Snapshot. [Internet] Dalhousie University. [2022]. Available from https://www.healthypopulationsinstitute.ca/_files/ugd/6eb48c_4307eb70798a44f5a55bbe2fc2a33202.pdf
Journal Articles
Mochida Y, Yamamoto T, Fuchida S, Aida J, Kondo K. Does poor oral health status increase the risk of falls?: The JAGES Project Longitudinal Study. PLoS One. 2018 Feb 1;13(2):e0192251. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0192251. PMID: 29389975; PMCID: PMC5794168.
Eckert CD, Tarleton EK, Pellerin J, Mooney N, Gell NM. Nutrition Risk is Associated With Falls Risk in an Observational Study of Community-Dwelling, Rural, Older Adults. J Aging Health. 2022 Oct;34(6-8):1125-1134. doi: 10.1177/08982643221096944. Epub 2022 Apr 29. PMID: 35487237.