Denistry program students visit the elderly at the 'Tremtinių namai' / © MF archive
A longstanding friendship and pleasant cooperation connect the Institute of Dentistry of the Faculty of Medicine at Vilnius University (VU MF) with the special social care institution "Tremtinių namai." Initiated by Dr. Rasmutė Manelienė, an associate professor at MF, dental students visit the residents of care homes during the gerodontology course. This practice provides students with the opportunity to get acquainted with elderly and socially diverse individuals, educate them about maintaining proper oral health, perform therapeutic procedures, and more.
This Monday, fourth-year dental program students Šarlota Galinauskaitė and Rusnė Karlikauskaitė, along with Dr. Rasmutė Manelienė, delivered a lecture on proper oral health to seniors at "Tremtinių namai." The lecture covered topics such as dental care, cleaning, tools such as special brushes and how to choose them, cleaning techniques, toothpaste and its selection, the use and care of removable dentures, additional oral care products such as mouthwash, and the most common oral and dental diseases in the elderly. "This initiative provided dentistry program students with the opportunity to understand the peculiarities of oral health in older people, allowing to gain a broader perspective on the principles of treating seniors and their application in practice. In care homes, we encountered patients with various systemic diseases, motor, hearing, cognitive impairments, in other words, individuals unable to care for themselves, who undoubtedly require the assistance of a dental doctor. We are pleased to have contributed to the education of residents at 'Tremtinių namai' about oral health and the individual assessment and treatment of patients. The acquired knowledge is an invaluable aspect, but an indispensable part of this initiative is the establishment of new friendships with wise individuals who find joy in each day," shared student Šarlota Galinauskaitė after the lecture.
"During the gerodontology course, students learn to diagnose the risk factors for oral diseases in the elderly, the causes of xerostomia, the influence of medications on oral diseases, the causes of infectious oral diseases, changes in the jaw after tooth loss, the epidemiology of dental caries development, the causes of root caries, characteristics of abscesses, anatomical and behavioral characteristics influencing non-caries diseases of hard dental tissues, the reasons for tooth sensitivity, symptoms of temporomandibular joint disorders, and other related topics," explained Dr. Rasmutė Manelienė about what geriatric dentistry entails. According to the associate professor, due to cognitive impairments, polypharmacy, and polychronicity, the oral health of the geriatric patient deteriorates, diagnosis becomes more complex, and treatment becomes palliative. Therefore, it is crucial that students are involved as early as possible, gaining an understanding of the aging processes, physiological changes, developing their ability to diagnose oral diseases in this age group, identify disease risks, and set final treatment goals, as well as environmental factors related to oral health care.
Through such initiatives, dental students, young individuals, and future doctors not only deepen their knowledge but also learn wisdom, cultivate patience and empathy while interacting with elderly individuals living in social care institutions, who value any attention, especially during this festive season.
