Seniors use dental care services far less than adults age 18 to 45, mostly due to financial constraints and inaccessibility to dental services. And although the implementation of preventative and intervention programs and policies is indicative of greater awareness of oral health, few of these programs take the specific needs of the elderly into account. Within this context, Dr. Christian Caron, an expert in gerodontology at Laval University, and his team founded the Centre of Excellence for Oral Health and Aging in 2006.2 Its general mandate was to initiate and contribute to the development of knowledge and solutions for maintaining and improving the oral health of people over age 65. To better meet this group’s oral health needs, they developed a best practice guide for caregivers, while encouraging prevention through advice on brushing techniques and dentures cleaning. In 2021, the Office of the Chief Dental Officer of Canada gave Dr. Caron’s team the mandate to study and report on all data they obtained from screening seniors for oral anomalies and denture conditions. Using these data, the team has created a screening tool that is quick, evidence-based, user-friendly and uses plain language to ensure that other primary care providers can use the tool effectively. The goal is to have caregivers assessing oral tissue abnormalities and denture dysfunction in Canadian seniors. In some settings, particularly institutional or longterm care (LTC) facilities, where health care providers without an oral health background care for seniors, many are reluctant to check resident’s oral tissues if an oral health care provider is not on site. “The oral health of the elderly is a real concern. They often suffer from a loss of autonomy, and it is more difficult for them to brush their teeth properly on a daily basis,” says Dr. Caron. “As a result, they are more at risk of tooth loss and of developing caries or many other problems that occur later in life. This population also has more abnormalities that often go undetected until late in life, which can make it difficult to repair or treat the teeth.” The team has created a screening tool that is quick, evidence-based, user-friendly anduses plain language to ensure that other primary care providers can use the tool effectively. 25 Issue 4 | 2023 | Issues and People
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