This compilation of oral health resources recommended by the GSA Oral Health Workgroup includes reports and other publications, webinars, infographics, and more.

This Momentum Discussion podcast provides insight into the “Aging and Oral Health Research “Meeting within a Meeting” held during the March 2023 American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research Annual Meeting. Learn about the primary objectives and outcomes of the meeting and the impact of loneliness and isolation in older adults and oral health and nutrition in aging.

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This podcast episode is supported by Haleon.

The health of the mouth and the nutritional status of older adults are not just connected — they’re integrally related. Declining oral health affects the foods a person can enjoy. Without a nutritious diet, oral health can decline. “Interrelationships Between Nutrition and Oral Health in Older Adults,” the topic of this issue of The GSA’s What’s Hot newsletter, addresses these important aspects of health from research, clinical, practice, and policy perspectives. 

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The relationship between oral health and nutrition is a circular one. Without a healthy mouth to chew food and begin the digestive process, nutritional status suffers. And, without adequate nutrients, oral health often declines, muscles weaken, gum tissues become infected, bone supporting the teeth resorbs, and teeth decay and - may be eventually lost. And the process repeats. We will discuss the interrelationships between nutrition and oral health with an emphasis on older adults who undergo surgery, have cancer, or require special diets due to chronic health conditions and factors related to social determinants of health. Discussants will also examine the need for interprofessional education initiatives that reinforce care that benefits both oral health and nutrition. 

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In March 2017, The Gerontological Society of America convened a forum in Alexandria, VA, of leading experts and key communities of interest committed to healthy aging. This white paper summarizes the deliberations from the forum, Developing an Interprofessional Roadmap to Improving Oral Health in Older Adults, and presents the concepts and solutions that were generated through a brainstorming and consensus-building process that encompassed needed activities in research, education, policy, practice, and funding arenas. The goal of the paper is to improve clinical and other outcomes in older adults by focusing all members of the health care team (medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, and allied health professions) on whole-person, interprofessional care that recognizes the inherent connection between oral and systemic health and is valued in the health care system. 

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This infographic illustrates key points from the publication, What’s Hot: "Oral Health: An Essential Element of Healthy Aging." 

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In this issue of the What’s Hot newsletter, oral health is considered as an essential element of healthy aging. The topic encompasses the breadth of the human condition, including clinical, scientific, psychosocial, and policy considerations. 

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Provides an opportunity for persons interested in the issue of oral health as an essential element of healthy aging to meet, exchange, information and resources, and make contacts with persons who have similar interests.