Modern Hygienist - September 2008 - (Page 20)

patients | AGING Top 3 Problems you must address with elderly patients. terventions and models of delivery in services to the older adult population.7 A cost-effective way to increase access to care in the long-term care environment would be to appoint a dental hygienist to the position of Oral Health Liaison. 3 In successful models already in place, the common elements include involving the community in implementation and planning; building up existing health safety nets to link dental services; and changing the institutional policy to support the delivery of dental care as well as financing.7 dental hygienist is a well educated professional and her or his responsibilities should not be limited to scaling and root-planing. For various reasons, some within our control and others outside of it, we are not working up to the potential inherent in Dr. Christensen’s statement. We need to make our voices heard so we can put our skills to use. Utilizing the dental hygienist for elder oral care would lower the cost of services for the dentist and allow hygienists to enhance their skills, becoming more capable and thorough while performing data collection and treatments.6 Allowing the dental hygienist to be the front line of caring for the underserved elderly populations would help close the gap in access to care problems that is increasing daily. mh Rene Stephenson, RDH. BSDH, has been a clinical dental hygienist for 22 years. She served as the Texas Dental Hygienists’ Association vice-president , as well as in various council chairs. She was one of the 2007 finalists for the BreathRx Hygienist of the Year. For information about courses she presents, visit TexasEducationalConcepts.com. References available upon request. E-mail mh@advanstar.com. * Medications. Older patients tend to take a lot of them, and a common side effect is dry mouth (xerostomia). * Arthritis. As motor skills deteriorate, so does the ability to brush one’s teeth effectively. A power toothbrush can go a long way in improving personal oral care. THE BOTTOM LINE In 2004, the number of uninsured individuals was 44 million—100 million had no dental insurance. As the numbers increase for those relying on Medicare and Medicaid, the budget cuts at the state and federal levels also continue to increase.7 Changes in healthcare policies as well as institutional changes must be made in order to care for the growing number of elderly people who will need oral health care in the future. More than 10 years ago, Dr. Gordon Christensen stated that the dental hygienist had evolved into an important preventive arm of the dental profession. He went on to say the Dentures. *glass of water A doesn’t cut it. Do some research and recommend products that will help keep appliances bacteria-free. Water Pik’s “Boomers and Seniors: Living Longer, Living Healthier, Considerations for Dental Professionals,” continuing education course will help you understand the social impacts of aging and the diseases and conditions that affect this group. It will also examine how the above will affect dental practices. The course is offered free of charge. Visit professional. waterpik.com. tip Thoughts? Comments? Thais Carter, tcarter@advanstar.com Questions? According to a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the average American adult spends less than 19 minutes a day exercising. Modern Hygienist is your magazine, so let us know what we can do for you. If you would like to contact us, here’s how: http://www.professional.waterpik.com http://www.professional.waterpik.com http://www.TexasEducationalConcepts.com http://www.placksmacker.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Modern Hygienist - September 2008

Modern Hygienist - September 2008 Contents Editor's Letter Letters Modern Solutions Access Denied Kids First: Creating Comfort Worn Out? Voice of a VIP Hands-on Hygiene: Magnification In Focus Digital Persuasion That "Other" Female Cancer Ad Index Classifieds Moonlighting

Modern Hygienist - September 2008

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