Is Europe prepared to meet the oral health needs of older people?

McKenna²,

Müller

et al. 2017

BMC Oral Health

BackgroundThe rapid aging of the European population and the subsequent increase in the oral care needs in older adults necessitates adequate training of dental professionals in Gerodontology (Geriatric Dentistry). This study was designed to investigate the current status of Gerodontology teaching amongst European dental schools at the undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing education levels.MethodsAn electronic questionnaire was developed by a panel of experts and emailed to the Deans or other contact persons of 216 dental schools across 39 European countries. The questionnaire recorded activity levels, contents and methodology of Gerodontology teaching as part of dental education programs. Repeated e-mail reminders and telephone calls were used to encourage non-responders to complete the questionnaire.ResultsA total of 123 responses from 29 countries were received (response rate: 56.9%). Gerodontology was taught in 86.2% of schools at the undergraduate level, in 30.9% at the postgraduate level and in 30.1% at the continuing education level. A total of 43.9% of the responding schools had a dedicated Gerodontology program director. Gerodontology was taught as an independent subject in 37.4% of the respondent schools. Medical problems in old age, salivary impairment and prosthodontic management were the most commonly covered topics in Gerodontology teaching. Clinical teaching took place in 64.2% of the respondent schools, with 26.8% offering clinical training in outreach facilities.ConclusionsThe vast majority of European dental schools currently teach Gerodontology at the undergraduate level. More training opportunities in oral care of frail elders should be offered, and more emphasis should be placed on interdisciplinary and interprofessional training, educational collaborations, and the use of modern technologies. Dedicated postgraduate Gerodontology courses need to be developed to create a significant number of specialized dentists and trained academics.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12903-017-0362-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Higher education in Gerodontology in European Universities

McKenna²,

Müller

et al. 2017

BMC Oral Health

“…Increasing evidence also reveals significant interactions between oral health and general health that are unidirectional and often bidirectional, making the challenges of poor oral health considerable . Oral problems in older adults are largely underdiagnosed because of various barriers and misconceptions . As people age and experience functional impairment, they tend to refrain from routine dental care while the number of consultations with non‐dental healthcare providers increase, but few healthcare providers, in the community or in nursing homes, are well trained to assess oral problems, recommend or perform adequate oral health measures, or identify problems that need to be referred to a dental professional .…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

An Expert Opinion from the European College of Gerodontology and the European Geriatric Medicine Society: European Policy Recommendations on Oral Health in Older Adults

J American Geriatrics Society

Hajto‐Bryk

Maggi

et al. 2017

Self Cite

129

This is an expert opinion paper on oral health policy recommendations for older adults in Europe, with particular focus on frail and care‐dependent persons, that the European College of Gerodontology (ECG) and the European Geriatric Medicine Society (EUGMS) Task and Finish Group on Gerodontology has developed. Oral health in older adults is often poor. Common oral diseases such as caries, periodontal disease, denture‐related conditions, hyposalivation, and oral pre‐ and cancerous conditions may lead to tooth loss, pain, local and systemic infection, impaired oral function, and poor quality of life. Although the majority of oral diseases can be prevented or treated, oral problems in older adults remain prevalent and largely underdiagnosed, because frail persons often do not receive routine dental care, due to a number of barriers and misconceptions. These hindrances include person‐related issues, lack of professional support, and lack of effective oral health policies. Three major areas for action are identified: education for healthcare providers, health policy action plans, and citizen empowerment and involvement. A list of defined competencies in geriatric oral health for non‐dental healthcare providers is suggested, as well as an oral health promotion and disease prevention protocol for residents in institutional settings. Oral health assessment should be incorporated into general health assessments, oral health care should be integrated into public healthcare coverage, and access to dental care should be ensured.

“…The world population is rapidly ageing, with Europe being the continent with the highest proportion of older people in the world; 25% of the total European population is older than 60 years of age . Interprofessional care for elderly people is important due to the complexity of older patients, and the small number of specialists in the field . A patient‐centred collaborative practice among physicians, dentists, nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, pharmacists, social workers, lawyers, and other formal and informal caregivers may lead to better continuity, quality and outcomes of care for the elderly patient at lower costs …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…1 Interprofessional care for elderly people is important due to the complexity of older patients, and the small number of specialists in the field. [2][3][4][5][6][7] A patient-centred collaborative practice among physicians, dentists, nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, pharmacists, social workers, lawyers, and…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dental participation in geriatric interprofessional education courses: A systematic review

Marchini

Childs

2018

Eur J Dental Education

Introduction Although the interdisciplinary management of the ageing individual is highly stressed, there is limited information on the outcomes of interprofessional education (IPE) activities of dental students in geriatrics. This systematic review aimed to identify studies with dentists participating in formal IPE courses in geriatrics and assess the outcomes reported. Material and Methods Electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL and Scopus), reference lists from relevant studies and cited papers were investigated. The inclusion criteria were as follows: about formal interactive learning; learners from at least 2 disciplines; including dentists; related to geriatrics; any study design; reporting any outcome; only full papers; published in peer‐reviewed journals; English language. Results Of the 1259 records retrieved, 26 were assessed for eligibility based on defined inclusion criteria and 7 studies were included in the final analysis. Two studies reported specific outcomes for dentists with lower, or even negative, post‐training scores for interprofessional collaborative practice competences compared to other disciplines, but only one of them used a previously validated scale. There were no reports on the effect of IPE courses on dental trainees’ gerodontology skill improvements or on their attitudes towards the older persons. Conclusion The existing evidence is insufficient to determine any outcomes of formal interprofessional training of dentists in geriatrics. More studies with better experimental design should be developed. Among the strengths of IPE in geriatrics are the interdisciplinary nature of geriatric care, the sharing of common geriatric competences among participating disciplines and the opportunity to use nursing homes as a training site.