Older Person and Dentistry Forum

The Minister for Health, Mr David Davis (pictured in the centre with ADAVB President Dr Anne Stewart and Associate Professor Matthew Hopcraft), and the Shadow Health Minister, Mr Gavin Jennings, addressed ADAVB’s Older Person and Dentistry Forum last Friday. The Minister addressed Mr Jennings saying he hoped that they could “do something in a collaborative and bipartisan way”. He spoke of remembering Mr Jennings, as the Minister for Aged Care, finding money for a non-budgeted aged care project. Mr Jennings said he would “support an issue in which the community would be better off”.

The Branch’s Vice President, A/Prof Hopcraft, spoke about the need for dental services for the older person. His Melbourne University colleague, A/Prof. Rodrigo Marino, provided information on services in residential facilities by dental health professionals. Dr Rain Papli addressed the audience on oral health services and Dr Warren Shnider spoke about specific oral health needs for the elderly.

Recommendations from the workshop included older person care being part of the syllabus for health care professionals, ways to make oral care part of the day-to-day activities of nursing homes, and greater collaboration between health professional bodies on this important issue.