The Virginia Dental Association (VDA) has launched a yearlong program to improve the oral health of seniors living in long-term care facilities.
"We have high hopes for the pilot program for seniors," said Dr. Frank Iuorno, a VDA member dentist and chair of the initiative, in a press release. "We believe ongoing dental care within a long-term care facility will improve the lives of residents and reduce the burden on the healthcare system."
Having dental professionals on staff will show that tending to the basic oral care needs of residents will improve their overall health, avoid unnecessary emergency treatments, and decrease expensive hospital admissions related to dental disease, according to the association. The effort is also part of ADA's Action for Dental Health movement, which aims to deliver dental care to seniors living in long-term care facilities.
