Assesment of Knowledge and Perceptions of Dental Practitioners towards Their Geriatric Patients in Chennai City

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: India’s senior population has been progressively increasing over the past century.Undoubtedly, the biomedical sciences, better living circumstances, and medical advancements have all contributed significantly to the rise in life expectancy. Maintaining overall health is recognised to be critically dependent on maintaining excellent dental health, and this is also true for older adults. Despite this, dental health in the elderly has not received much attention in our nation. OBJECTIVES: Therefore, the goal of this study was to investigate the knowledge and opinions of private dental practitioners on ageing, psychosocial influences, and the oral health care of their elderly patients. RESULTS: According to the data, 45% of practitioners had a moderate to high accurate answer rate when it came to their understanding of ageing. According to 70–80% of practitioners, the top three reasons why elderly patients skip their visits are family issues, money difficulties, and transportation-related issues. The main mental health aspect influencing older persons’ oral health is the presence of a severe disease. The main physical element affecting oral health is independence, while isolation is the most significant social component. CONCLUSION: The dental professionals were found to have a modest level of understanding of ageing. The findings suggest that curriculum needs to address geriatric dentistry.