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Updated: Jul 13, 2026

Oral Health Assessment by Lay Personnel for Older Adults
Published on: February 2, 2020
[Malnutrition in the elderly--a interdisciplinary problem for the dentist]
Christian E Besimo1, Christina Luzi, Walter O Seiler
1Klinik für Rekonstruktive Zahnmedizin und Myoarthropathien, Universitätskliniken für Zahnmedizin, Basel. ch.besimo@bluewin.ch
Dental care for seniors requires understanding aging and nutrition. Integrating nutritional assessments into dental exams can improve health outcomes and prevent oral complications in the elderly.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Dental Medicine
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Effective dental treatment and long-term care for elderly individuals necessitate an interdisciplinary approach to aging.
- Medical knowledge beyond specific dental expertise is crucial for comprehensive geriatric care.
Observation:
- Malnutrition is highly prevalent in the elderly population.
- Malnutrition is often overlooked in dental practice, despite its significant impact.
Findings:
- Undiagnosed and untreated malnutrition in the elderly contributes to increased morbidity and mortality.
- Incorporating nutritional status assessment into dental diagnostics is essential.
Implications:
- Early medical diagnosis and therapy for malnutrition can be facilitated through dental examinations.
- Addressing nutritional conditions during dental visits can help prevent oral complications in aging patients.
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