[Prevention of falls by elderly people in oral health care practices]

Oral health care practices are ever more frequently visited by frail elderly people. Frail elderly people are at risk for fall accidents due to intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Intrinsic factors are patient-related and extrinsic factors are environment-related. Significant intrinsic fall risk factors for elderly people are orthostatic and postprandial hypotension. The most important effect of hypotension is cerebral hypoperfusion, which can induce syncope and fall. Five to ten per cent of fall accidents of elderly people result in trauma. A serious trauma with possible extreme consequences is hip fracture. One year after a surgical hip fracture treatment of elderly people, 25% are experiencing mobility impairment and 25% have died as a result of co-morbidity or complications. Fall prevention deserves serious attention. Provision of information and strengthening and protecting bones are important prevention measures. In an oral health care practice, general risks of falling must be inventoried on a regular basis, and each (frail) elderly patient should be provided with individual fall-prevention guidance.