The increase in life expectancy in Switzerland is posing new challenges, as more and more people are becoming dependent on care, both at home and in long-term care facilities.
The dental profession must deal with patients retaining their own teeth until later in life with an increased incidence and severity of caries and periodontal diseases.
The association between general and oral health is becoming important, particularly in older people with medical conditions. Aspiration pneumonia can develop as a result of pathogenic bacteria descending from the oral cavity to the bronchoalveolar system, which presents a frequent, potentially life-threatening danger.
By adapting care and treatment concepts, the masticatory ability can be preserved or restored, which in turn helps preventing malnutrition. Other aims include preventing infections as well as maintaining subjective wellbeing and an attractive dental appearance.
Care standards should be defined for the provision of oral-health related dentistry for the vulnerable population of the care-dependent adults. These should be implemented by an interdisciplinary care team composed of nursing personnel, long-term care facility managers, Spitex staff, physicians, dentists as well as dental assistants and hygienists.
Willy Baumgartner1 Martin Schimmel2 Frauke Müller3
1 Private practice, Rämistrasse 39, 8001 Zurich
2 Division of Gerodontology, Center for Dental Medicine, University of Berne
3 Division of Gerodontology and Removable Prosthodontics, University Clinics of Dental Medicine, Geneva
CORRESPONDENCE
Prof.Dr.med.dent. Frauke Müller
University Clinics of Dental Medicine
Division of Gerodontology and Removable Prosthodontics
Rue Barthélemy-Menn 19
CH-1205 Geneva
Tel. +41 22 379 40 60
Fax +41 22 379 40 52
E-mail: frauke.mueller
@unige.ch
SWISS DENTAL JOURNAL SSO VOL 125 4 P 2015
