Plaque May Increase Fever Risk in Elderly
June 3, 2009

by Nancy Volkers
InteliHealth News Service

INTELIHEALTH - In the elderly, more plaque may mean more risk of fever – whether people have teeth or not.

Researchers studied 271 older people who were long term hospital patients. The study lasted one year. In that time, people with at least 10 teeth were more than 5 times as likely to have fever as were people with 1 to 9 teeth.

Among the elderly with no teeth, those with more plaque on their tongues were 5 times as likely to have fever as people with cleaner tongues.

The authors conclude that further studies are needed to see if better oral care for elderly patients in the hospital can decrease the risk of fever and subsequent pneumonia.

A few studies have suggested that poor oral health and poor oral hygiene in the elderly can affect overall health. Poor oral hygiene may be linked with pneumonia or difficulty breathing in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The bacteria that cause cavities and periodontal (gum) disease may be risk factors for some types of pneumonia in older adults.

The study appears in the Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics.