BASIC PROBLEMS IN PROVIDING DENTAL SERVICES FOR GERIATRIC PATIENTS
BASIC PROBLEMS IN PROVIDING DENTAL SERVICES FOR GERIATRIC PATIENTS

Summary/Abstract: The concept of healthy aging requires a special approach and care for oral health. In response to this need, a new branch of dentistry, called geriatric dental medicine, was created. It includes the provision of dental treatment for the elderly, such as diagnosis, prophylaxis and treatment of oral diseases. Geriatric dental medicine poses many challenges to healthcare professionals. The purpose of this publication is to outline the main problems in providing dental services to geriatric patients. Primary care is the provision of orthopedic treatment to restore damaged features and improve quality of life. This type of treatment and the predictions behind it depend on many factors. Preventive care for adult oral health also poses many challenges for healthcare professionals. Nowadays, this group of patients retain their natural dentition much longer than in the past, but still the level of cases with caries, periodontitis, xerostomia remains high. Most oral diseases prophylaxis programs target young people and adults over 60 have no place in them. Many people still believe that tooth loss is a natural process and can not be prevented.

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