Oral diagnostics: an integral component to geriatric health care.

Aging is inevitable, every day we live we age. The mouth is referred to as a mirror of overall health, reinforcing that oral health is an integral part of general health. Oral health reflects overall well being for the elderly population. Compromised oral health may be a risk factor for systemic diseases commonly occurring in age. Diagnosis and proper treatment is essential for healthy aging. Timely diagnosis, appropriate treatment and regular follow-up of both oral and systemic diseases are a prerequisite for active aging. Oral diagnostics is a revolutionary development with high potential to replace other investigative modalities. Changing demographics, including the increase in life expectancy and the growing numbers of elderly, has focused attention on the need for dental research activities to be expanded for geriatric dentistry. This paper is aimed to shed light on the growing elderly population and their ailments. It also aims to create awareness among health care providers about oral diagnostics and their application in geriatrics.

[Gerodontology--a challenge also for public health services]. / Gerostomatologie--eine Herausforderung auch für den Offentlichen Gesundheitsdienst.

The dental services of the public health service (OGD) should not confine themselves to dental screening in kindergartens and schools but also turn their attention to the advancement of oral health in the special risk groups of the senior citizens. Although government resources are limited, new capacities could be gained by restructuring. Is it really prudent, in a lifetime perspective, for the OGD to solely focus on the oral health of youths while oral neglect in long-term care carries on unabated? A stronger support by the OGD of gerodontology should be instituted on its boards, publicised in health reports, and implemented in supervisory bodies for quality management of the long-term care facilities. An endorsement of the structures of long-term care insurance and training facilities would be desirable. The OGD could assist the fitter seniors through specific education to participate in dental prevention programmes and motivate physicians to inspect the oral cavity. Furthermore, recommendations regarding the structuring of geriatric dental care by the OGD would be helpful. The OGD is a vital partner to gerodontology. Therefore, further projects should be conducted in cooperation with dental organisations.

[Community aspects of geriatric dentistry--a literature review: 1975 - 2000].

The world's population is in transition, but there is an inevitable move in all societies towards an aging population. There is an agreement that the ability of the geriatric population to adjust to the "third age" depends on the will of the society and the community to provide services and to support this vulnerable and dependent population. The preponderance of oral health issues and their impact upon general health and quality of life have prompted a variety of geriatric related efforts over the last 20 years. Predoctoral and postdoctoral education and training efforts have been initiated, geriatric research agendas have started to yield important findings, and a few service programs have marginally helped improve dental care access for the geriatric population. Past discoveries have enabled large portions of the world's population to enjoy far better oral health than their forebears a century ago. Although different patterns of dental needs emerge throughout the world, the" silent epidemic" of oral diseases is affecting the most vulnerable parts of the population: the poor children, the elderly and many members of racial and ethnic minority groups. The review of the literature of community aspects of geriatric dentistry in the past twenty five years will be introduced in two articles. The first article summarizes the important issues of demography, oral health condition, changes in attitude towards oral health of the geriatric population, oral health services given in geriatric institutions and mobile dentistry. The issues of law and ethics, development of public and community oral health programs for the geriatric population and plans as well as trends for the future will be discussed in the second article. Setting goals and presenting data are steps in the right direction but are not enough; the success will be measured by the ability to make things happen. The continuing anticipated growth of the geriatric population will, hopefully, be translated into a rising political power and to fruitful and practical health outcomes.

Specialized care for older patients.

Growing numbers of older dental patients are presenting unusual challenges to today's practitioner. Both patients and dentists would benefit if geriatric dentistry were declared a specialty.