Effect of a geriatric educational experience on graduates activities and attitudes

Abstract

Clinical geriatric dentistry has not been an important part of most dental curricula. However, changes in demographic and patient expectations signify that geriatric oral health care can no longer be equated with supplying dentures for an aging population, but must be understood as treatment of the complex needs of a dentate population. The 1975 to 1985 graduates of the University of Iowa College of Dentistry were surveyed to evaluate the influence on dental practice of a comprehensive geriatric dental curriculum introduced in 1980. The post‐1980 graduates were more likely to be practicing in larger population centers and less likely to be treating patients over 75 years of age. The dentists who graduated before 1980 were more likely to be consultants in nursing homes and carrying out examination, emergency care, and/or denture care, whereas the group of dentists who graduated after 1980 and had geriatric clinical experience with frail and functionally dependent older adults were more likely to be carrying out comprehensive care. When given a list of 18 geriatric dental and gerontological topics, few differences were found between cohort groups in terms of knowledge and confidence in carrying out procedures.

Dental status, visits, and functional ability and dietary intake of elderly in Israel

“…Identifying the elderly with compromised dietary intake is important to prevent various comorbidities in this age group. Evaluation of dietary needs is an important skill for dentists and physicians who care for elderly patients [ 22 ].…”

Development of undergraduate gerodontology courses in Austria, Germany and Switzerland 2004‐2014

“…It would be useful to establish whether qualified dental practitioners, after repeated educational exposure to gerodontology content during their undergraduate studies, would be more inclined to tailor their practices proactively to the needs of older patients when the economic environment and other external factors are conducive 24 . There are indications that the current under‐ and postgraduate training situation has not led to improved oral health of residents in long‐term care facilities 8 , 25 . Barriers preventing practitioners from offering services to seniors have to be identified and addressed.…”

“…It enhances students’ appreciation of dentists’ professional responsibilities 7 . It has been demonstrated that undergraduate students who took part in a gerodontology course were more likely to undertake dental care for nursing home residents 8 . As frail and dependent nursing home residents have particularly large unmet dental treatment needs, any educational measures aimed at improving dental services for this segment of the population are of special interest.…”

Undergraduate teaching in gerodontology in Leipzig and Zürich – a comparison of different approaches

“…Extramural exposure offers students the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to function effectively in an environment with limited resources while gaining first‐hand experience of the chronically ill. Evidence that dentists who had pre‐doctoral geriatric clinical exposure were more likely to provide comprehensive care in nursing homes 13 further underscores the importance of extramural training.…”