Prosthetic practice and social approaches – providing lifestyle support to homebound patients –

Abstract

With the development of a super-aged society, the number of people increases who need nursing care and whose oral functions have deteriorated. For these patients, it has become necessary to think of mobile dentistry not as an unavoidable necessity because of the difficulty of visiting a clinic but as a way of actively providing prosthetic care to support their lives and well-being. There are three types in the path to end-of-life care. The dental involvement differs significantly from one to the next, including a short-term focus on end-of-life care, prosthetic care and rehabilitation support, and long-term support until the decision to discontinue denture use is made, requiring appropriate judgment based on an understanding of the situation. In such cases, collaboration with visiting nurses and other professionals is essential.