• Course coordinator : Anastassia Kossioni, Professor
• Department: Prosthodontics

Aim

The development of necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes to efficiently manage the oral problems of geriatric patients. The «geriatric» patients are not defined solely by chronological age but also by increased frailty and care dependency induced by biological, medical, psychological, and social changes.

Learning outcomes

After the completion of the course the students should be competent at :

• Describing the major biological changes and the characteristics of morbidity in old age
• Differentiating oral age-related changes from oral morbidity
• Identifying the main medical and social factors affecting oral status and care in od age
• Developing patient-centered treatment planning for the independent, frail and care-dependent geriatric patient.
• Providing appropriate preventive, conservative and prosthodontic oral treatment to the geriatric patient,
• Describing the principles of domiciliary dental care and the conditions needing hospital referral.

Content

Definition of Gerodontology. Demographics. Biology of ageing. Pathology of ageing. Age-related changes in oral tissues. Oral disease in old age. Communication with geriatric patients. Patient-centered treatment planning. Oral health prevention and education. Conservative and prosthodontic care of the geriatric patient. Management of the frail and care-dependent patient. Domiciliary care.  Hospital care. Treatment planning exercises. 

Educational methods

• Lectures
• E-courses
• Educational visits (Older People Day Centers, Nursing Homes, etc)

Criteria for successful completion

• Successful final examination.