Interdisciplinary Education and Health Care in Geriatric Dental Medicine

Abstract

Geriatric patients are more likely to have multiple medical comorbidities, physical limitations, and mental impairments that warrant careful consideration while providing patient care. Dentistry, along with other health care professional programs, incorporate interprofessional education (IPE) experiences to provide students with skills they need to deliver collaborative care in their future practice. Health professional programs should consider geriatric training in simulated learning environments, adult day programs, nursing homes, long-term care facilities, and home care experiences to provide students valuable IPE experiences. Lastly, this article presents a call to action for professional organizations to consider offering continuing education courses in IPE.

Keywords: Collaborative practice; Geriatric dental medicine; Interprofessional education (IPE); Team-based care.