Copyright © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America.
Meeting oral health needs of older adults in Long-Term Care (LTC) settings means addressing unique challenges and disparities for this population. The Virginia Dental Association (VDA) LTC Access to Care Work Group facilitated a one-year pilot program integrating oral healthcare professionals into two public LTC facilities to demonstrate cost-effectiveness and benefits of ensuring preventive and referral oral health services into the LTC setting. A Registered Dental Hygienist and a Dental Assistant staffed the pilot program, providing training to direct support staff on oral disease/hygiene and recording oral health status, treatment indicated and rendered, and oral health-associated hospitalizations throughout the pilot program in order to raise the value placed on oral health in LTC settings, improve oral health of LTC residents, and demonstrate reduced morbidity and cost of oral health-related ailments/hospitalizations. To qualitatively assess the pilot program and inform the broader discussion on best practices for integrating oral health programs into LTC settings, VDA LTC Access to Care Work Group members and pilot program staff were interviewed. Key challenges and opportunities for integrating oral health services into LTC settings exist both on the direct care provision and administrative level. The novel Community Dental Health Coordinator (CDHC) may be a suitable catalyst to address recommendations emerging from pilot program. Continued collaboration between oral healthcare and LTC professionals as exhibited in this pilot program will strengthen and improve the LTC infrastructure in valuing and improving oral health for older adults.