Oral health disparities in the elderly: A study on access to dental care and its implications.

Elderly people encounter important dental health effects on their general well-being even though their access to dental services remains unequal. Seniors living in rural areas showed more tooth decay on dental examination with DMFT scores at 14.2 for of 300 seniors while urban seniors had scores at 9.5. Regular check-ups were accessed by 57% of urban senior citizens whereas only 28% of rural elderly received such visits. The cost of transportation and insufficient funds stood as main obstacles that prevented seniors from attending dental appointments. Enhanced accessibility combined with increased awareness constitutes the base for decreasing healthcare inequalities affecting aging adults' oral health.