Geriatric Dentistry: A Comprehensive Review of How to Manage the Aging Patient

NEW PROGRAM
Fall 2025 | October 25 – 27, 2025
3-Days (Saturday – Monday)

This course will provide you practical, up to date, and clinically relevant information in Geriatric Dentistry. The program includes two lectures and a glass ionomer workshop at UBC on Saturday and Sunday, and a half day on Monday observing clinical activity in a dental clinic located within a long-term care facility in downtown Vancouver. Participants have the option to register for the three day program or the two day program.

UBC Faculty

Topics

  • Key concepts in geriatric medicine and its relevance to dentistry and oral health, frailty and its impact on oral health
  • Frailty and its impact on oral health
  • Medical risk assessment in older adults
  • Dementia Friendly Dentistry
  • Rational treatment planning
  • Rapid oral health deterioration framework
  • Management of common ethical and legal issues (informed consent, Medical Order for Scope of Treatment, Advance Directives, Goals of Care)
  • Oral effects of drug therapy, medication management, and avoiding drug related complications. Safe prescribing for older adults
  • Root Caries management
  • Difficult extraction of fractured teeth
  • Oral mucosal lesions in older adults
  • Preventive dental care for older adults
  • Patient management tips to improve access to care, communication, and patient comfort
  • Recognition and management of elder abuse/neglect
  • Managing difficult patient behaviours, including biological and psychological symptoms of dementia
  • Safe patient transfer techniques, including wheelchair transfers
  • Designing and delivering dental services for long term care facility residents such as; understanding the LTC system and different care settings, dental regulations in LTC,
    designing an effective dental program (staffing, clinical delivery models, equipment), contracts and financial management, quality assurance and program evaluation, integrating

Location

UBC for lectures and a long term care facility in downtown Vancouver for clinical observation.