Dental care of people in need of care should be improved

Domestic dentist care for the needy
As society ages, so does the number of people in need of care. The dental health of these elderly is often much worse than the rest of the population. Bavaria's health minister wants to improve the dental care of those in need of care.

Dental health of people in need of care
Life expectancy in Germany has increased dramatically in recent years. With aging society, the number of those in need of care also increases. Many of them are not very good at dental health. For example, experts pointed out years ago that people in need of care often have tooth decay. Bavaria's Health and Nursing Minister Melanie Huml has now announced that she wants to improve the dental care of those in need of care.

The dental health of older people, especially those in need of care, should become more important in the future. The dental care for them should be improved. (Image: kulniz / fotolia.com)

Dental care for the elderly
In order to efficiently prevent tooth decay, and to prevent gingivitis and toothache, it is especially important to brush your teeth regularly.

However, good oral hygiene also requires regular and adequate drinking. But especially seniors feel less thirsty with age; that leads to a dry mouth.

In addition, salivation slows down in old age. This combination has a detrimental effect on oral hygiene, as saliva is responsible for the natural cleansing of teeth and the neutralization of harmful acids. In addition, saliva also repairs broken enamel.

For older people, especially those in need of care, dental care is therefore particularly important.

"New ways required"
"The living conditions of older people, especially those in need of care, will have to be taken into account more than ever before in the field of dental health. New ways are also needed here, "said Huml on the occasion of a new study on this topic.

According to a statement from the Ministry, the scientific paper entitled "Oral health and quality of life of people in need of care in homes and inpatients" focuses on outpatient dental care for people in need of care in Lower Franconia.

"The study shows, among other things, how the dental health of people in need of care can be improved with the help of home-based dental visits. This significantly increases the quality of life. Because pain is avoided - and eating easier with healthy teeth, "said the minister.

"In addition, for the people in need of care and their relatives a home-based dental treatment means less stress," said the politician.

How the care of people in need of care can be put into practice
"A goal of our study was also to show how the care of people in need of care can be put into practice. This should be an incentive for even more dentists in Bavaria to follow this example and complete more home visits, "added Huml.

"In addition, there is an additional remuneration for legally insured persons who could only visit a dental practice with great difficulty due to a need for care, a disability or a permanent, substantial restriction of their everyday skills", explained the Minister of Health.

She also referred to the needs of people in need of institutional care: "Patients in inpatient care often can not visit their dentist regularly due to illness. However, it is also very important for them to control their dental and jaw health. Dentists will have to respond more strongly to this need in the future. "(Ad)