Policy Paper. Salud Oral en Personas Mayores: un desafío multidimensional para Chile

(partial or total loss of dental pieces) is 2,8 times higher in women than men (Departamento de Salud Bucal, 2010). Facing these numbers, we need to shed light on the fact that the first dimension most impacted by a poor oral health is the functional: chewing and digesting food. This functional dimension is – in turn – linked to the quality of food intake and nourishment. Poor oral health produces alterations of food intake patterns and with it, a deterioration in health in general. Specifically speaking of elderly population, this problem is aggravated by conditions such as fragility and sarcopenia; that is, the decrease in muscle mass and weakening, both causing a higher risk of accidents such as falls. Nevertheless, the mouth has another function, a mainly social function. It allows us to laugh, talk and – thus – to establish connections with other people, rendering itself as a fundamental tool in social participation and the exercise of social rights. This function cannot be ignored in any integral view of health. Studies show, for example, that the self-image derived fromdental condition has repercussions for self-esteem, producing loss of interest in social interactions (Donnelly & MacEntee, 2012). Furthermore, this compromised social interactions and consequent social isolation link oral health with cognitive degradation. Considering all these variables, in 2005, the World Health Organization recommended that oral health should be tackled from a public policy perspective, especially in ageing societies. In the same spirit, in 2015, they issued the “Tokyo Declaration on Dental Care and Oral Health for Healthy Longevity” that put oral health as a challenge and requirement for achieving a healthy society. In Chile, the institutional response from public policies for the oral health of older people has been rather limited. Among these actions, we find the “Integral Dental Care” (Atención Odontológica Integral) for the 60-year old population, implemented since 2007 as a part of the “Explicit Healthcare Guaranties” (Garantías Explícitas de Salud o GES). This initiative is complemented by other programs such as “More Smiles for Chile” (Más Sonrisas para Chile), focused on making dental treatment readily available for adult women, as an equal opportunity working force reinsertion measure, the “Low Income Men” (Hombres de Escasos Recursos) program, which is not specific for senior citizens; and the “Severe Dependency House Call Care Program” (Programa de Atención Domiciliaria Personas con Dependencia Severa), a healthcare strategy implemented by means POLICY PAPER SALUD ORAL EN PERSONAS MAYORES 12 13