The high prevalence of disorders in the mouths of elderly residents in long-term care (LTC) facilities suggests that the dental services available to the residents are inadequate. A questionnaire was sent to most of the dentists practicing in Vancouver (British Columbia) to solicit their opinions on treating older patients in LTC facilities, and a response was obtained from 334 (55%). It indicated that 19 percent of the respondents had treated old people within this context, although few of them felt they had been educated adequately for the service. Many reasons were offered to explain the small participation. Most respondents had never been asked to attend a facility. Many felt that it interfered with their practice and leisure, and they were concerned about the limited options available for treatment. Dentists who had attended facilities were motivated by a sense of professional or public responsibility, but they were uneasy about the limited options and about the inadequate space and equipment available. In general, the dentists were not interested in attending an institutionalized geriatric population, and they felt ill-prepared for the service.
In a stratified random sample of 41 long term care (LTC) facilities in Vancouver, 653 residents were chosen to investigate oral health needs and demands for treatment. All of the 603 dentists in the same area were questioned to assess their interest in attending the residents of the institutions. The information from each source was reviewed to identify factors influencing the oral health services to this predominantly elderly and medically compromised population. The majority (60%) of the residents were edentulous and they made infrequent demands on dentists. Two-thirds of those interviewed said that there was nothing wrong with their mouths, but most of those who were aware of a problem wanted it treated, preferably within the institution. They complained about loose or uncomfortable dentures most frequently, and many were dissatisfied with previous dental treatment. The oral mucosal lesions seen on examination were usually symptomless and associated with poor hygiene, while structurally defective dentures and deep carious lesions were not uncommon. The responding 334 dentists indicated that they enjoyed treating elderly patients, 19% had attended an LTC facility, usually to provide an emergency service, and 37% were willing to provide this service if asked. Interest, however, in the service was curtailed by pressures from private practice, concerns about inadequate training and the small demand and poor conditions in the facilities. Although the demand for treatment was not extensive from the residents, they did have problems that were not receiving care.
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