COVID-19 and Geriatric Dentistry: What will be the new-normal?

Leonardo Marchini; Ronald Ettinger

doi:10.14295/bds.2020.v23i2.2226

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COVID-19 and Geriatric Dentistry: What will be the new-normal?

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

COVID-19 and Geriatric Dentistry: What will be the new-normal?

Leonardo Marchini and Ronald Ettinger

Brazilian dental science, Vol.23(2), 2226

2020

DOI: 10.14295/bds.2020.v23i2.2226

Appears in Diamond Open Access

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Abstract

Older adults may face many barriers when accessing oral health care. The most vulnerable groups are people living in long term care institutions and the homebound. These barriers are related but not limited to socio-economic issues, medical and oral health problems. Some socio-economic problems are lack of finances, absence of dental insurance, lack of social support networks, and being institutionalized. Some general health problems are multiple co-morbidities, polypharmacy, dementia, and reduced autonomy. Some oral health problems are having heavily restored dentitions, dry mouth, root caries, and inability to maintain adequate oral hygiene independently. In addition to these existing barriers, many new barriers have arisen which are expected to further reduce access to oral health care for older adults due to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Older adults are at greater risk of fatal outcomes from COVID-19 infection and many dental procedures have an increased risk of creating aerosols, thereby spreading COVID-19 infection. Consequently, older adults due to fear are less likely to seek or receive oral health care until a treatment or vaccine is developed for COVID-19 infections. In this article, the authors discuss the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic to the practice of geriatric dentistry, and what is expected to be the “new normal” in this field of dentistry.

aged

COVID-19

Geriatric dentistry

Older adults

Oral health

SARS-CoV-2

Details

Title: Subtitle: COVID-19 and Geriatric Dentistry: What will be the new-normal?
Creators: Leonardo Marchini - University of Iowa, Preventive and Community Dentistry
Ronald Ettinger - University of Iowa, Prosthodontics
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Brazilian dental science, Vol.23(2), 2226
DOI: 10.14295/bds.2020.v23i2.2226
ISSN: 2178-6011
Alternative title: COVID-19 e Odontologia Geriátrica: Qual será o novo normal?
Language: English; Portuguese
Date published: 2020
Academic Unit: Preventive and Community Dentistry
Record Identifier: 9983916299602771

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