[The dentist in the circle of care of dependent elderly]

By preventing avoidable causes of death, man usually dies at advanced age after a prolonged period of increasing dependency often in homes for the elderly and in nursing homes. This dependency means problems in self care, walking, cognition, communication and in oral health. Geriatric dentistry can be incorporated in a model arranging care (the care circle) in which the dentist operates independently, or organised in teams with other caregivers or central directed by a nursing home doctor (so-called multidisciplinary dentistry). Multidisciplinary dentistry means that the dentist is a member of a multidisciplinary team, contributing to the reduction of individual problems with eating, drinking and oral health. The dentist involves the team in the indications of dental treatment. He operates within the rules of recent Dutch legislation. These laws are based on self-determination of the patient, institutional quality-assurance and individual skills-guarantees of the care provider.