PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the current status of dental geriatric education in Korea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One of the faculty members related in geriatric education was selected in each Korean dental school and the questionnaire on geriatric dental education was sent to them by e-mail. The questionnaire consists of the topics about undergraduate geriatric education and administration of the geriatric education. The information obtained from the questionnaire was compared with that of other countries in the aspects of curriculum, teaching methods, subjects, and existence of specific clinics, etc. RESULTS: Seven schools have geriatric dentistry in undergraduate education curriculum. Among those, only two schools had it taught by theoretical lecture as well as clinical lecture. Two dental schools had specific geriatric clinic among seven dental schools. Compared with the USA and western European countries, the geriatric dental education in Korea is at a developing stage and was perfunctory without diverse clinical experience. CONCLUSION: In Korean dental schools, geriatric education was mostly conducted by lectures, and clinical teaching programs were not well organized compared with developed countries. It seems that the status of geriatric dental education in Korea has not been well established academically or administratively yet.
Aged ; Curriculum ; Developed Countries ; Education, Dental ; Electronic Mail ; Geriatric Dentistry ; Humans ; Korea ; Lectures ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; School Dentistry ; Schools, Dental ; Teaching

BACKGROUND: Population aged 60 years old and above are growing in number; a fact that will have an impact on general and oral health in the future. Oral health is often overlooked in the management of geriatric patients but it is vital to have a knowledged-based practice in order to increase the quality of life of elderly patients.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to determine the number and types of oral mucosal lesions in geriatric patients who come to the Universitas Airlangga Dental Hospital.

METHODS: This is an observational descriptive study with cross-sectional design. Intraoral soft tissue examination was performed on geriatric patients coming to the hospital between March and December 2018.

RESULTS: One hundred twenty-four (124) new geriatric patients came to the hospital. A total of 152 oral lesions from 63 geriatric patients (50.81%) were identified.  Overall, coated tongue (55.56%) was the most frequently detected lesion, followed by linea alba buccalis (31.74%) and lingual varicosities (26.98%).

CONCLUSION: Coated tongue or white tongue is the most frequently detected oral mucosal lesion, often caused by poor oral hygiene. The dentist should be able to recognize and differentiate them from the worrisome lesions and decide on the appropriate treatment in geriatric patients.

Human ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged (a Person 45-64 Years Of Age) ; Adult (a Person 19-44 Years Of Age) ; Mouth Mucosa ; Geriatric Dentistry ; Geriatrics