A IMPORTÂNCIA DA PREVENÇÃO DA SAÚDE BUCAL VOLTADA PARA OS IDOSOS

Gilvania Rodrigues dos Santos; Cassiane Alves dos Santos; Eva Milena Pedreira do Nascimento; Ivana Matos Alves; Laryssa Cristiane Lanes da Fonseca; Gabriel Bastos Texeira

doi:10.51891/rease.v11i5.19398

Authors

Gilvania Rodrigues dos Santos Faculdade de Ilhéus
Cassiane Alves dos Santos Faculdade de Ilhéus
Eva Milena Pedreira do Nascimento Faculdade de Ilhéus
Ivana Matos Alves Faculdade de Ilhéus
Laryssa Cristiane Lanes da Fonseca Faculdade de Ilhéus
Gabriel Bastos Texeira Faculdade de Ilhéus

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51891/rease.v11i5.19398

Keywords:

Prevention. Oral health in old age. Elderly people. Difficulty in accessing oral health.

Abstract

This Final Course Work presents the importance of oral health prevention for the elderly, based on the theoretical discussion of the following topics: oral health, prevention, quality of life, oral problems and their benefits. A data survey was carried out based on articles published between 2014 and 2025. The study identified that, despite the benefits that oral health prevention offers to the elderly population, there is a high prevalence of oral problems, such as root caries, periodontal disease, soft tissue lesions and oral cancer. In addition, the difficulty in offering preventive dental services to this population is highlighted, which constitutes an alarming public health issue, especially considering the progressive aging of the Brazilian population. Another situation highlighted throughout this study is the lack of training for dental professionals to care for geriatric patients, the lack of interest in public policies to offer adequate support to the elderly, and, mainly, the lack of an action plan to guarantee dignified care that is compatible with the needs of this population in basic health units.