Public health issues in geriatric dentistry in the United States.
The aging United States population living in the new millennium has dental needs that are very different and more complex than those experienced by previous older adult cohorts during the twentieth century. The type of dental care to be provided for older Americans goes way beyond emergency care, extractions and denture care. Dental caries is still clearly a public health problem for subgroups of older Americans, such as those of lower socioeconomic status, with dementia, who are homebound and who are institutionalized. These are also the subgroups experiencing greater barriers to accessing dental care. Stakeholders, including dental professionals and the dental benefits industry, need to work together to develop innovative dental financing programs that will increase older Americans access to dental care.
Chalmers
J M
JM
Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry, College of Dentistry, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA. jane-chalmers@uiowa.edu
Ettinger
R L
RL
D000368:Aged; D016321:Dental Care for Aged / Q000191:economics; D017742:Dental Care for Chronically Ill; D003730:Dental Care for Persons with Disabilities; D005381:Financing, Organized; D005850:Geriatric Dentistry; D006293:Health Promotion; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009909:Oral Health; D011634:Public Health; D012923:Social Class; D014481:United States