Overcoming Barriers in Geriatric Oral Health Care

Dental surgeons as a part of the health care system are often in the frontline in detecting age related morbid conditions or diseases through routine oral examination. Specific health problem management during dental treatment remains as a real challenge for dental surgeons. Treatment of oral disease themselves is equally challenging. Hence to improve the scenario one needs to concentrate on overcoming barriers such as socioeconomic status, general health status, physical and cognitive disabilities and access to dental service among the elderly population. Educating dental surgeons to play the role of oral physicians can determine the extent to which oral health care can be made accessible to the elderly population

Autorentext

Dr Vinita Sanjeevan is a Public Health dentist with a special interest in Geriatric Dentistry. Dr Praveen Rajagopal is a Prosthodontist and is actively involved in provision of rehabilitative dental care to the elderly.