Open AccessACCESS TO DENTAL CARE AMONGST THE AGED
Author(s) -
Gibson D.M.,
Broom D.H.,
DuncanJones P.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
community health studies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.946
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1753-6405
pISSN - 0314-9021
DOI - 10.1111/j.1753-6405.1984.tb00425.x
Subject(s) - neglect , personal hygiene , dental care , oral hygiene , dental health , population , government (linguistics) , dental hygiene , medicine , hygiene , oral health , health care , gerontology , public health , nursing , family medicine , environmental health , dentistry , political science , linguistics , philosophy , pathology , law
This paper examines access to dental services amongst older people living in Sydney. The results suggest marked underutilization by large segments of the aged population, and particularly by the poor, the physically disabled, the less educated and the very old. Yet good dental health is essential for nutrition, personal comfort, self‐image and oral hygiene. Adequate dental care is as important to the health and well‐being of older people as it is to other sections of our population. It is difficult to explain the continued neglect and paucity of government funding which characterize this aspect of public health services.