(HS Dunbar 078865 2024) Oral Care Essentials from the Geriatric Toothfairy: Barriers, Diseases, Dentures, Medications & More!

Course overview

As life expectancy for Baby Boomers increases and they retain their natural teeth, it is imperative for healthcare professionals to possess comprehensive knowledge of the diverse dental requirements of elderly individuals. Geriatric dentistry provides oral care to older patients, many of whom necessitate the diagnosis, management, prevention, and treatment of age-related dental problems. The U.S. Surgeon General has emphasized that older Americans are affected by a "silent epidemic" of significant, consequential dental health issues. An unspoken crisis of oral diseases is impacting older adults in long-term care facilities, with frail elderly individuals enduring inadequate and neglected oral care silently. This course will address the oral health status of compromised elderly individuals and the correlation with both oral and systemic health. Sonya Dunbar MPH, RDH, will share methods and rationale for oral care to residents on ventilators, feeding tubes, and those in a comatose state.