Oral hygiene represents income for elderly

By Isaac Kim

Researchers have found a correlation between weak oral hygiene and poverty among elderly people.

In other words, the income for senior citizens can be determined by their dental health.

Sunmoon University’s Dental Hygiene Department researcher Choi Yong-geum and Korean Dental Association’s (KDA) Research Institute for Dental Care researchers Han Seon-young and Kim Cheol-shin completed a report analyzing the relationship between oral hygiene and income of senior citizens.

The Korea National Health & Nutrition Examination Survey examined 2,812 health surveys and oral examination records of senior citizens over the age of 65 and divided them into categories by sex, income, education and oral hygiene.

Those with no teeth numbered 446 seniors (18 percent), 2,054 (75.5 percent) have lost at least one molar, and only 193 (6.5 percent) still retained all 28 of their teeth.

In the education category, the figures show, 1,834 (71.7 percent) received no schooling after the primary level, 327 (11.2 percent) middle school graduates, 380 (11.4 percent) high school graduates, and only 177 (5.8 percent) graduated from college.

The monthly income was one million won for 1,290 seniors (47.1 percent), 1 to 1.9 million won for 634 (21.7 percent), 2 to 2.9 million won for 325 (10.9 percent), 3 to 3.9 million won for 210 (7.8 percent), and four million won or more for 353 (12.5 percent).

Those with no teeth earned a monthly average of 1.5 million won, and those with at least one molar missing earned 1.81 million won. In contrast, those who retained all their teeth earned an average of 1.89 million won.

One researcher stated, “With a low income, the elderly have a hard time getting dental care, which then weakens their oral health.”