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Geriatric Oral Health Care

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Handbook of Aging, Health and Public Policy

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Abstract

Geriatric Dentistry deals with the oral health care of the older adults and is not just limited to the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of caries and periodontal diseases. The degenerative and pathologic changes in the oral structures in course of time develop into dental problems that affect the basic life activities of an individual. Though not always life threatening, majority of the oral problems affect the physical and mental well-being of the individual, thereby markedly decreasing the quality of daily life. The geriatric population cannot be considered as a homogeneous group because there are specific sub groups based on their individual genetic predispositions, lifestyles, socioeconomic status, cognitive or psychological impairment, and the presence of comorbidities which make them home-bound or institutionalized. Overcoming the social, psychological, financial, and health-related barriers happens to be a major challenge in providing quality dental care to the elderly for practitioners in developing countries. Hence, treatment planning for the elderly population would be an individualized affair rather than implementation of general principles. Well-planned and structured efforts by the government authorities, practicing dental professionals, social workers, and other healthcare workers are indispensible for achieving the oral health goals of the geriatric population.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dental, Bluesprings Dental Clinic, Thiruvananthapuram, India

    S. Ashok

  2. Government Dental College, Thiruvananthapuram, India

    J. Reshmi

Authors
  1. S. Ashok
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  2. J. Reshmi
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Correspondence to S. Ashok .

Section Editor information

  1. Sree Mookambika Institute of Medical Science, Trivandrum, Kerala, India

    Robert Mathew

  2. The International Institute of Migration and Development, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India

    Aneeta Shajan

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Ashok, S., Reshmi, J. (2022). Geriatric Oral Health Care. In: Handbook of Aging, Health and Public Policy. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-1914-4_113-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-1914-4_113-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-16-1914-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-16-1914-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Social SciencesReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences

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