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Chapter 44 - Oral Health

from Section III - Care of the Elderly by Organ System

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 June 2022

Jan Busby-Whitehead
Affiliation:
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Samuel C. Durso
Affiliation:
The Johns Hopkins University, Maryland
Christine Arenson
Affiliation:
Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia
Rebecca Elon
Affiliation:
The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Mary H. Palmer
Affiliation:
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
William Reichel
Affiliation:
Georgetown University Medical Center
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Summary

This chapter explores oral health as a component of overall health and well-being in older adults. The primary focus is on older adults who live independently and in long-term care settings. Common oral diseases among this population include dental caries, periodontal disease, and oropharyngeal cancers. Discussion of each includes common signs and symptoms, etiology of disease, established risk factors, health disparities, and approaches to disease prevention and treatment. Oral hygiene is particularly important for oral disease prevention, but may present unique challenges for older adults. Oral hygiene strategies are discussed in the context of geriatric care. In addition, the authors present a framework for integrating oral health into primary care practice to improve outcomes for older adults.

Type
Chapter
Information
Reichel's Care of the Elderly
Clinical Aspects of Aging
, pp. 548 - 557
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

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