Addressing Elder Abuse

By  Mary Manning, AAS, BS, MS, RDH

Dental hygienists’ expertise is not limited to oral health, but rather includes a broad-based knowledge of overall risk assessment, detection of signs and symptoms of disease, and strategies to improve both oral and systemic health. They are often the most frequently visited health care professionals, as many Americans keep 3-month to 6-month recare appointments with their dental providers but don’t routinely visit their primary care physicians. As such, dental hygienists and other members of the oral health care team are well positioned to recognize the signs of abuse and, therefore, should be prepared to provide assistance to patients exhibiting these types of symptoms.

* References can be found in the original article via the link below.
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