A Hidden Pandemic In Our Mouths
Ira Pastor interviews Dr. Mark Wolff. He is the Morton Amsterdam Dean and Professor of Division of Restorative Dentistry at University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine.
Ira Pastor Comments
As regular listeners to the ideaXme program know, we talk a lot about \”healthy aging\” and how aging and biological changes related to aging affect the entire body. This includes the structure and function of all the organs and tissues. Today, the topic is oral health.
The biological processes that age us can affect our oral health. Many of the changes we experience as we grow older (like cells renewing slower, tissues becoming thinner and less elastic and bones becoming less dense and stronger), and the changes in our immune systems (which can cause infection to occur faster and wounds to heal more slowly) can have a major impact on our oral cavity.
The most common oral health problems among older adults are untreated tooth decay and gum disease. They also include tooth loss, oral carcinoma, and chronic diseases that worsen with age-related physiologic changes, such as hypertension or diabetes.
Dr. Mark Wolff
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