Dental insurance visits and expenditures among older adults.
(17/98)
OBJECTIVES: We examined the effect of age, income, and coverage on dental service utilization during 1996. METHODS: We used data from the 1996 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. RESULTS: Edentulous and poorer older adults are less likely to have coverage and less likely to report a dental visit than dentate or wealthier older adults. CONCLUSIONS: These analyses help to describe the needs of older adults as they cope with diminishing resources as a consequence of retirement, including persons previously accustomed to accessing oral health services with dental insurance. (+info)
Addressing health disparities through dental-medical collaborations, Part III: Leadership for the public good.
(18/98)
This is the third in a series of articles featuring dental-medical collaborations to reduce oral health disparities. Previous articles have targeted disparities among children, the elderly, and those with mental retardation and developmental disabilities and the importance of cultural factors in health disparities. Articles in this third group describe projects that originated in the public health sector or utilize public health approaches. They include training of non-dental providers and Head Start/Early Head Start workers in children's oral health promotion; case management to ensure early preventive medical, dental, and developmental services for children; and a dental school-led outreach, training, and research effort to address oral cancer disparities. In this introductory article, we review lessons learned from the entire series of projects reported in these articles. The primary take-home message is that educational changes are needed in dental and medical training to better address oral health disparities. Other important lessons include the value of local or state-specific data, the need for partnerships with key stakeholders, and the role of financial incentives in leveraging change. We recommend more attention to outcome assessments in educational initiatives, greater partnering with families and patients, and utilization of change-management methodologies with systems, providers, and patients. We also advocate increased collaboration with the public health sector and bold leadership in dental education. (+info)
Oral health conditions in patients with Parkinson's disease.
(19/98)
BACKGROUND: Oral health conditions and related factors of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) have not been well elucidated. The aim of the present study was to investigate oral health conditions and related factors which may influence oral health conditions among patients with PD. METHODS: We compared oral health conditions and related factors between 104 PD patients and 191 inhibitants (controls) who received dental health check-ups in Hokkiado, Japan. The unconditional logistic regression model was used for adjusting for sex and age. We also conducted stratified analysis by sex and age group using this model. The chi2 test and the Cochran-Mantel-Haenzel test were used for simple and stratified analyses of knowledge of oral health among PD patients, respectively. RESULTS: In the present survey, we found the following results. (1) PD patients had more complaints of chewing difficulties and denture discomfort than controls. (2) Fewer PD patients had their own teeth than controls regardless of sex. (3) Fewer PD patients cleaned their dentures every day than controls, regardless of sex or age. (4) More than half of the PD patients had problems with swallowing. CONCLUSION: We found that PD patients had more complaints about their oral health and more problems in oral health behavior than the general population. These findings may provide useful information for the caregivers of PD patients to conduct oral health care as well as for making oral health plans for PD patients and for medical and welfare services. (+info)
Setting up a mobile dental practice within your present office structure.
(20/98)
Different service models have emerged in Canada and the United States to address the issue of senior citizens' lack of access to comprehensive dental care. Over the past decade, one such model, the use of mobile dental service units, has emerged as a practical strategy. This article describes a mobile unit, operated as an adjunct to the general practitioner's office and relying mainly on existing office resources, both human and capital, to deliver services at long-term care institutions. The essential components of a profitable geriatric mobile unit are described, including education, equipment, marketing research and development, and human resource management. Issues related to patient consent and operating expenditures are also discussed. Data from one practitioner's mobile dental unit, in Hamilton, Ontario, are presented to demonstrate the feasibility and profitability of this approach. (+info)
Understanding dental students' knowledge and perceptions of older people: toward a new model of geriatric dental education.
(21/98)
Increasing numbers of older people and the decreasing rates of edentulism highlight the importance of dental education that focuses on oral health and aging. This evaluation study assessed dental students' knowledge and beliefs about older people as well as their awareness of the biopsychosocial concerns that are potential barriers to oral health care. Dental students' (N=202) knowledge and perceptions of older people were evaluated before and after the first year of a new educational program. Students completed the Palmore Facts on Aging Quiz II (FAQ II) and answered questions about health problems and social concerns that may influence patient care. The intervention was twofold: 1) the CARES (Counseling, Advocacy, Referral, Education, and Service) Program, a clinical collaboration between the schools of Dental Medicine and Social Work, was initiated; and 2) all students were exposed to geriatric educational interventions. FAQ II scores did not significantly change, but dental students' awareness of mental health, independence, and social concerns increased between Times 1 and 2. The results of the study suggest that positive interactions with older adults by health care providers may depend more on positive perceptions toward older people than increased knowledge about aging. Future research will focus on positive experiences with older adults and attitudes of dental students toward the elderly. (+info)
A look at the (near) future based on the (recent) past - how our patients have changed and how they will change.
(22/98)
Remedies for dental diseases have been in use for as long as 4,000 years, and various materials and methods have been used over the millennia. Dentistry continues to change in response to changes in the age distribution, origins, financial means and health of the population, as well as to changes within the profession itself. The Canadian population is very unevenly distributed geographically and ethnically. Furthermore, it is aging rapidly and life expectancy is increasing. Although the average income of Canadians has increased, the increase was unevenly distributed, and the gap between rich and poor continues to expand. There has been a steady rise in the number of Canadians with dental insurance, although the proportion of the population with insurance varies from one province to another. Not surprisingly, people with dental insurance compared to those without are more frequent users of dental services. The rate of caries attack has diminished in industrialized countries, but people are keeping their teeth longer, so caries will remain a significant public health problem, particularly among elderly people. In addition, smoking tobacco is strongly associated with periodontal disease; thus, there should be more action within the dental community in support of smoking cessation programs. The composition of the dental care community is also changing. The ratios of dentists and dental hygienists to the population have increased, the services offered by dental technicians have expanded greatly, and the services offered by denturists have also increased as these services gain more widespread acceptance. Use of dental services in Canada remains reasonably broad; however, denture-wearers continue to regard uncomfortable dentures as a normal part of aging. The pattern of uneven distribution of disease and access to service remains the major challenge facing the dental profession. (+info)
Access and care: reports from Canadian dental education and care agencies.
(23/98)
Representatives of faculties of dentistry and agencies working to improve the oral health of groups with restricted access to dental care were invited to address the access and care symposium held in Toronto in May 2004. They told of their clients" sometimes desperate needs in graphic terms. The agencies" response ranged from simple documentation of the need, to expression of frustration with current trends and the apparent indifference of policy makers, to the achievement of some success in arranging alternative models of care. The presenters consistently identified the need to change methods of financing dental education and both the financing and models of care delivery to meet the needs of those with restricted access to oral health care. (+info)
Access to dental care among older adults in the United States.
(24/98)
Oral health is essential to an older adult's general health and well-being. Yet, many older adults are not regular users of dental services and may experience significant barriers to receiving necessary dental care. This literature review summarizes national trends in access to dental care and dental service utilization by older adults in the United States. Issues related to geriatric dentistry and concerns about access to dental care include the increasing diversity of the older adult population, concerns about the degree to which the dental workforce is prepared to meet the oral health needs of older patients, and the adequacy of the future workforce, including concern about training opportunities in gerontology and geriatrics for dental and allied dental practitioners. (+info)