Polish Journal of Public Health

Original Article, Pol J Public Health 2021;131: 41-44

Paweł Kudła, Janusz Tarczydło, Kacper Kuśmirek

Student Research Circle at Chair and Department of Conservative Dentistry with Endodontics, Medical University of Lublin, Poland

10.2478/pjph-2021-0008

© 2021 Medical University of Lublin. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonComercial-No Derivs licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/)

Abstract

Introduction. The issues of dental office accessibility, professionalism of the service as well as treatment reimbursement often determine geriatric patients’ decision regarding treatment. In the era of an aging society, struggling with the intensification of disease processes of the entire system, the belief of the elderly about the value and availability of dental treatments is the key to the wide use of the achievements of modern dental medicine. Thanks to this, there is a chance to improve oral health, which will directly improve the overall health condition of this age group.
Aim. The aim of the study was to know the opinions of senior patients about the quality and availability of dental care for this age group.
Materials and methods. The study was conducted during the Lublin Seniors Meeting LUB-SENIOR 2019 among 100 randomly selected people of both sexes aged 60-75 living in Lublin, who are not residents of retirement homes. An anonymous direct questionnaire with 7 questions regarding dental care was used.
Results. After analyzing the answers given by the respondents (n=100), it was found that 84% of them showed satisfaction with the dental care available to them. Among the surveyed seniors, 81% declared having their own dentist, while 25% expressed the willingness to change him. As much as 80% of the respondents declared that dentists pay attention to seniors dental health problems. A friendly approach of the dental team to a senior patient was declared by 61% of the respondents. Preferences concerning the use of dental treatment in private offices were reported by 44% of thepeople, and within the procedures provided by the NHF – by 45%.
Conclusions. The surveyed senior patients show attachment to their dentist, while expressing a positive opinion on dental care and the treatment. Few people in the studied age group show the willingness to change dentists, which is directly influenced by the doctors’ interest in health problems of the elderly.

Keywords: geriatric dentistry, dental care, seniors.