Name: Medically Complex Patients Series [4] Oral Health Challenges for Older People
Start: 2025-02-23T04:49:07+13:00
End: 2025-02-23T04:49:07+13:00
Location: Medically Complex Patients Series [4] Oral Health Challenges for Older People

In todays' evolving healthcare landscape, dentists play a crucial role in the management of medically complex patients. Providing comprehensive and compassionate care requires an understanding of each patient's needs, including any related medical conditions. This webinar series will explore a number of topics aimed at giving practical advice for dentists to navigate the challenges of treating patients with diverse medical needs in dental practice.

Learning outcomes

New Zealand’s population is aging steadily, and an increasing proportion of older adults are retaining some of their natural teeth into their senior years. As a result, dentate older patients now have significant dental needs and higher expectations for maintaining their natural dentition. This demographic shift means that dental professionals will be seeing and treating more older patients in their practices. In this webinar, Guo will explore the unique oral health challenges facing older adults, with a focus on how medical complexities and functional comorbidities can negatively impact their oral health. The session will address both clinical and patient-centered challenges, particularly in providing care for frail and vulnerable older people with cognitive impairments. With the "silver tsunami" already underway, dental providers are left to grapple with critical questions: How can we meet the evolving oral health needs of older patients? What can we do with teeth that seem beyond hope? Should we focus on ideal care or more realistic, achievable outcomes? Is Silver Diamine Fluoride the solution?

Speaker

Dr Guo Ling BDS, DClinDent (SND) Hospital Dental Surgeon | Auckland Regional Hospital and Specialist Dentistry

Guo completed his Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) from the University of Otago in 2002. He began his career as a dental house surgeon with Auckland District Health Board (DHB), before moving into general private practice. Guo returned to Otago and successfully completed his Doctor of Clinical Dentistry (DClinDent) in Special Needs Dentistry in 2011. Currently, Guo is a full-time dental consultant at Auckland Regional Hospital & Specialist Dentistry, Te Whatu Ora – Te Toka Tumai Auckland. He practices a wide range of general and special care dentistry.