Improving Oral Health For The Elderly

This excellent new work confronts two important oral health policy concerns in the United States: the disparities in the oral disease burden and the inability of certain segments of the population to access oral health care. The book examines in depth this crucial yet frequently overlooked indicator of seniors’ quality of life. It provides an invaluable set of recommendations to the clinical, research, and administrative communities that will serve the elderly population.

This excellent new work confronts two important oral health policy concerns in the United States: the disparities in the oral disease burden and the inability of certain segments of the population to access oral health care. The book examines in depth this crucial yet frequently overlooked indicator of seniors’ quality of life. It provides an invaluable set of recommendations to the clinical, research, and administrative communities that will serve the elderly population.

This book provides a comprehensive review of the assessment and management of older people’s oral health care needs. Discussing recent initiatives to emphasize oral health promotion and prevention, the book describes improvements in pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches for special populations in geriatrics and illuminates the role of barriers to oral health care for older people. Divided into three sections, the book first explores aging and oral health, including age-related changes, epidemiology, nutrition, dysphagia, aspiration pneumonia, xerostomia and hyposalivation, management of periodontal disease and caries, systemic diseases that influence oral health, and considerations for chronic orofacial pain. The second section illuminates the ways in which frailty and other geriatric syndromes influence oral health care in older adults with a special focus on frailty, dementia, delirium and depression, and the delivery of oral health care to vulnerable geriatric populations in long-term care, home care, palliative care, and hospice. Lastly, the book addresses inequalities in the oral health of older minority populations, the disproportionate burden of oral disease and tooth loss, the contribution of these issues to further complications in comorbidities, the association of extended health literacy and periodontal disease, and the social and cultural conditions that might be altered or improved by healthcare programs and health policies. Oral Health and Aging is a useful book written by an international group of experts and designed to educate geriatricians, primary care physicians, nurses, dentists, dental hygienists, speech and language pathologists, dietitians, and health policy advocates.

This excellent new work confronts two important oral health policy concerns in the United States: the disparities in the oral disease burden and the inability of certain segments of the population to access oral health care. The book examines in depth this crucial yet frequently overlooked indicator of seniors’ quality of life. It provides an invaluable set of recommendations to the clinical, research, and administrative communities that will serve the elderly population.

Look no further for the book that provides the information essential for successful practice in the rapidly growing field of gerontological occupational therapy! Occupational Therapy with Aging Adults is a new, comprehensive text edited by OT and gerontological experts Karen Frank Barney and Margaret Perkinson that takes a unique interdisciplinary and collaborative approach in covering every major aspects of geriatric gerontological occupational therapy practice. With 30 chapters written by 70 eminent leaders in gerontology and OT, this book covers the entire continuum of care for the aging population along with special considerations for this rapidly growing demographic. This innovative text also covers topical issues spanning the areas of ethical approaches to treatment; nutrition and oral health concerns; pharmacological issues; low vision interventions; assistive technology supports; and more to ensure readers are well versed in every aspect of this key practice area. UNIQUE! Intraprofessional and interprofessional approach to intervention emphasizes working holistically and collaboratively in serving older adults. Case examples help you learn to apply new information to actual patient situations. Questions at the end of each chapter can be used for discussion or other learning applications. Chapter on evidence-based practice discusses how to incorporate evidence into the clinical setting. Chapter on ethics provides a deeper understanding of how to address challenging ethical dilemmas. UNIQUE! Chapter on the wide range of physiological changes among the aging patient population highlights related occupational performance issues. UNIQUE! Chapter on oral health explores the challenges faced by older adults.

This book aims to provide the dental team with an improved understanding of management of the oral health needs of the ageing population, in whom increasing cognitive, medical and physical disabilities impact significantly on oral health and dental care needs. All significant aspects of caring for older people are covered. The nature and implications of changing demographics are explained and information provided on common medical co-morbidities and the impact of cognitive conditions, including dementia, on dental treatment. The changing pattern of dental disease in older people is clearly described, with explanation of the consequences of these changes for aspects of restorative dentistry, oral medicine, and oral surgery. Advice is given on considerations for dental treatment planning, including the importance of prevention and utilization of dental care professionals. Provision of care for older people under general anaesthesia or sedation and domiciliary care are also covered. The book is written by specialist practicing clinicians and delivers information in an accessible way with a person-centered approach.