Meeting Oral Health Needs to Promote the Well‐Being of the Geriatric Population: Educational Research Issues

Ettinger, Ronald L.

doi:10.1002/j.0022-0337.2010.74.1.tb04851.x

Cited by 31 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…The overcrowded nature of dental curriculum and the competition among disciplines appears to influence the extent of geriatric dentistry, with over 93% of sixth year students studying geriatric dentistry, compared with 68% of fifth year students, 48% of fourth year students, 17% of third year students, 13% of second year students, and only 2% of first year students in European dental schools . Notably, in 2009, only one dental school in Austria and 40% of dental schools in Germany offered any lecture series or practical course in gerodontology, compared with all dental schools in Switzerland in 2004 .…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is reinforced by the findings indicating that only a few dental schools in the US, Canada, Switzerland and Sweden provide practical on‐site training in geriatric hospital wards, residential aged care facilities or domiciliary care . As yet there are no adequate studies to indicate if on‐site and mobile care experiences offer the best models for teaching students how to manage older patients, with the risk that superficial exposure may do more damage to a student's future interest in caring for older patients …”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In Britain and the US, dentists with special interests in frail and dependent older people are being formally recognized, and programmes are being developed in special needs dentistry or specifically in gerodontology, incorporating interdisciplinary and interprofessional efforts to design the selection and recruitment of suitable speakers . Unlike some other countries, Australia has no recognized speciality for gerodontology.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Geriatric dentistry, teaching and future directions

Slack‐Smith

Hearn

Wilson

et al. 2015

Australian Dental Journal

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Background: Many nations are facing a demographic shift in the age profile of their population, leading the World Health Organization to a 'Call for Public Health Action' on the oral health of older people. Methods: A search of the literature relevant to geriatric dentistry teaching was undertaken using MEDLINE, Web of Science, Eric and Psychlit. A search of dental professional school websites in Australia and policy and international practice documents was undertaken. Results: The international literature describes requirements for geriatric dentistry courses and various approaches to teaching, including didactic teaching, practical experiences and external placements. Challenges are identified in the area of geriatric dental education. Educational institutions (with others) have an obligation to lead change, yet there appears to be little formal recognition in Australian dental curricula of the need to develop quality education and research programmes in geriatric dentistry. Conclusions: Internationally, the inclusion of geriatrics within dental curricula has been the subject of consideration since the 1970s. The current evidence indicates that geriatrics/gerodontology is not a significant component of dental curricula. Given the projected age distribution in many countries, the need for implementation of dental curriculum content in the area of geriatrics/gerodontology is evident.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Geriatric dentistry, teaching and future directions

Slack‐Smith

Hearn

Wilson

et al. 2015

Australian Dental Journal

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“…Ettinger's recent review of the dental educational literature concluded there were significant barriers to teaching geriatric and special needs dentistry, and these have remained the same since Moshman et al . identified them in 1985.…”

Section: Have We Set the Dental Education Curricular Bar Too Low?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Professional education to meet the oral health needs of older adults and persons with disabilities

Dolan

2013

Special Care in Dentistry

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A well-prepared dental workforce is critical to improving the oral health of special needs patients. This paper, originally presented at the National Coalition Consensus Conference: Oral Health of Vulnerable Older Adults and Persons with Disabilities, reviews and suggests opportunities to enhance the professional education of the dental workforce, including enhanced faculty training in gerontology, geriatrics and special patient care, and opportunities for improved curricula and team training both within the dental team and among the diverse group of health professional that often collaborate in the care of special needs patients. Other considerations include the creation of a specialty of Special Care Dentistry, and the effective use of dental team members in the care of special needs patients.

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“…The WHO has firmly recommended that countries establish oral health programmes to meet the needs of the elderly . Ettinger's rational dental care treatment planning model suggests a framework for dental management and a modified version of this model incorporates the management of oral disease issues and offers a framework for managing the oral health needs of the geriatric population …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Advanced restorative dentistry – a problem for the elderly? An ethical dilemma

Cg¹

2015

Australian Dental Journal

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The type of dental restorations taken into old age may have an adverse effect on the quality of life of the elderly. Root caries and dry mouth increase in prevalence with age and may precipitate the breakdown of remaining natural and restored teeth. At present the availability of dental personnel and facilities in residential aged care facilities (RACFs) is limited, often non‐existent, and the elderly living at home may be unable to easily gain access to dental care. Thus, the provision of appropriate and timely dental treatment may not occur, resulting in prolonged pain and suffering. It is important that, as our elderly population increasingly retain natural teeth into advanced old age, appropriate funds are made available to ensure their dental health is maintained. A lack of early intervention to arrest dental disease may result in life‐threatening medical consequences in the elderly, such as ventilator assisted pneumonia or the need for a general anaesthetic and possible associated medical risks. Significant local disease, such as osteonecrosis, may also result from a lack of appropriate dental intervention. The necessity to remove questionable teeth prior to irradiation for neoplastic disease or bisphosphonate prescription for neoplastic disease or severe osteoporosis emphasizes the need for regular dental care. In contrast, extensive dental restorative treatment for younger people may have benefits, such as optimal dental aesthetics and oral function, but in older individuals careful consideration should be given to select the most appropriate treatment modality so that adverse situations can be avoided or their resolution simplified should they occur later when the individual is compromised or in a RACF. This may mean the use of conservative dental restorative materials and an avoidance of complex restorative options which may be difficult for the individual or RACF staff to maintain. Some years after receipt of their complex restorations they may be unable to cope with the operative demands and financial burden of resolving their deteriorating dental situation and so complex implant‐born structures and precision removable prostheses should probably be avoided for those individuals contemplating entering a care situation. Therefore, the timing of the provision of complex dentistry poses an ethical dilemma.

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Meeting Oral Health Needs to Promote the Well‐Being of the Geriatric Population: Educational Research Issues

Cited by 31 publications

References 30 publications

Geriatric dentistry, teaching and future directions

Geriatric dentistry, teaching and future directions

Professional education to meet the oral health needs of older adults and persons with disabilities

Advanced restorative dentistry – a problem for the elderly? An ethical dilemma

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