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26 October 2006
Dentists volunteer for pilot project on aged-care dental treatment
Thousands of elderly Queenslanders living in aged care facilities currently have poor access to dental care, prompting dentists to set up a trial for a suitable model to provide them with appropriate oral health treatment in the longer term.
Australian Dental Association Queensland Branch president Robert McCray said the Aged Care Pilot Project got underway this week and is being run by volunteer dentists and hygienists for the next three weeks.
The pilot is within the 100-bed Abbey Gardens Aged Care facility on Brisbane's northside, where a treatment room has been fitted out with donated and purchased equipment.
"ADAQ's purpose in setting up this pilot project is to identify the most at-risk people and develop a model of care which can be rolled-out across the state's 400-plus nursing homes," Dr McCray said.
"The ageing baby boomers retain some or all of their own teeth and this category of people is escalating rapidly.
In earlier times, when more aged-care residents had dentures, oral health care was difficult enough to manage but this will only get harder as time goes.
"Teeth can deteriorate quickly when people are on multiple medications, which can cause saliva - which has natural protective qualities - to dry-up."
Once the pilot project runs its course, the next step is for the Queensland Government or nursing homes to make a financial commitment to fund appropriate oral health treatment.
"The concept of a private/public partnership is the only realistic way to address this issue given the workforce shortages and overload within Queensland Health Oral Health Services," Dr McCray said.
An Australian Council of Social Service report released this week said the social impacts of poor adult oral health are immense, with more than one in four Australian adults experiencing painful aching because of problems with their teeth, mouth or dentures in 2002.
Dr McCray said another area of dental care inadequately covered in Queensland is special-needs dentistry and ADAQ is lobbying for a dedicated facility with appropriately trained staff to treat people with disabilities or complicated medical conditions.
ADAQ joined forces with the Australian Medical Association, the Pharmaceutical Society and the Public Health Association Australia to form the Queensland Oral Health Alliance.
The alliance is working to reduce the growing dental inequities which are exacerbated by the continuing population migration to Queensland, increasing numbers of older people retaining their teeth for longer, the epidemic of tooth decay in children and young adults, and long public dental waiting lists.
For comment, contact Dr Robert McCray on 0412 145 771.
Statement prepared by ADAQ media consultant Jane Milburn 0408 787 964.
All of the information included on this web site is accurate to the best of knowledge of the Australian Dental Association (Queensland Branch). To make the text more readable for non-scientists, ADAQ has deliberately minimised attributions and links to supporting files or scientific attachments. However these sources are readily available if required and many can be found via www.health.qld.gov.au/fluoride. |
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