Dentists who offer nursing home dental care are known as geriatric dentists. A lot of older citizens require diagnosis, prevention, management and treatment of dental issues associated with diseases related to old age.

Research shows that more than half of all dental patients who are over sixty years old are on medication or their health is compromised in some way. Older patients tend to show more sensitivity to medication used in dentistry such as local anesthetics and analgesics, and they are likely to experience certain dental issues related to aging. These include coronal caries, periodontitis, and dry mouth.

Why is it important?

There are a lot of reasons why older citizens need specialized care from dentists who have experience and training working with geriatric patients.

Potential drug interactions

This is a top reason why geriatric mobile dental services are important for older patients. Older patients are likely to take over-the-counter medications that can make them vulnerable to medical errors, drug interactions and drug reactions. Dental professionals specializing in geriatric dentistry understand this. They take the necessary precautions to protect the well-being and safety of older patients.

Understanding and compassion

It is not uncommon for senior citizens to have physical, sensory and cognitive impairments that complicate communication and dental treatment. Geriatric-focused dentists are familiar with these issues and take great care to reduce distractions and noises during treatment. A lot of them provide radio and TV programming to give older patients something they can focus on.

Dentists who are specialized in geriatric dentistry are very careful to include caregivers they can trust in the treatment process. This allows them to be present to provide reassurance and comfort. Older patients with cognitive limitations can get overwhelmed. This makes geriatric-focused nursing home dental care the ideal service provider because they are more careful to communicate with older patients using simple and short sentences that relax patients and ease the entire treatment process.