Gerodontology in the dental school curriculum: A scoping review

Abstract

People worldwide are living longer with the proportion of older persons projected to accelerate at an unprecedented rate. 1,2 The number of "oldest-old" persons (people aged 80 years or over) is growing even faster than the proportion of older persons overall, with estimations that this group will triple in number by 2050. 3 This statistic is not limited to high-income countries, with the population of oldest old in some low-to middle-income Asian and Latin American countries predicted to quadruple by 2050. 4 With this change in life expectancy comes an increase in dentate older people indicating a need for a workforce of dental professionals equipped with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to manage a growing frail and caredependent population. 5,6 Societal values and expectations of the oral health of older people have changed. Sussex et al 7 found that in New Zealand, it was

Potential educational and workforce strategies to meet the oral health challenges of an increasingly older population: a qualitative study

“…2022) [ 8 ]. Similarly in a recent international scoping review of the literature, large variations in the training were reported, and the review also highlighted the need for national and international guidelines to ensure mandatory inclusion of specific training in Gerodontology [ 17 ]. All participants reported the perennial issue of the overcrowded curriculum as the main barrier preventing a more thorough training and education in Gerodontology, however, all agreed that more emphasis needs to be put on both inter-professional and intra-professional education to achieve multidisciplinary care.…”

What influences dental students’ attitudes regarding the treatment of older adults? A scoping review

“…In addition, the benefit of working with older subjects consists of the development of abilities and skills regarding the practical application of theoretical knowledge, the understanding of the interaction between general and oral health, the influence of compromised functional capacity, and ethics in the treatment plan 41 . Unfortunately, according to a scoping review of the current scenario of gerodontology education worldwide, there are not only insufficient dental courses with extramural clinical learning experiences but also a limited offer and varied forms of gerodontology content in the curriculum 43 …”

Undergraduate Dental Education in Gerodontology in Germany between 2004 and 2019—A case for compulsory teaching?

“…A more comprehensive representation of gerodontology in the dental curriculum would be desirable. Therefore, national and international guidelines are needed to ensure a mandatory inclusion of a specific gerodontology training to get dental students prepared to treat frail and older patients 35 …”

“…Therefore, national and international guidelines are needed to ensure a mandatory inclusion of a specific gerodontology training to get dental students prepared to treat frail and older patients. 35 These observations make the introduction of compulsory gerodontological content within the framework of the newly adopted Dental Licensing Regulations introducing mandatory duties to teach gerodontology with observable and measurable outcomes a welcome change. The approach described by Lamprecht et al 36 to develop, evaluate and improve educational tools could be used to monitor progress in gerodontology teaching, including observations of dental student's response to and satisfaction with the new contents.…”