Geriatric Dentistry; Clinical, Community and Political Implications
Speaker
Dr. Rodrigo Giacaman is DDS (1994) and Prosthodontist (1999) from the University of Chile. He earned the PhD in Oral Biology at the University of Minnesota, USA in 2007, under the mentorship of Prof. Mark C. Herzberg. Currently Dr. Giacaman is the Dean and Full Professor at Faculty of Dentistry of the University of Talca, Chile. He is Director of the Cariology Unit, where he teaches several undergraduate and graduate level courses and is faculty member of the Master’s Program in Geriatric Dentistry and in 3 PhD programs. Dr. Giacaman has served as advisor for many undergraduate, Master’s and PhD students in Chile and abroad, mainly in Cariology and Gerodontology topics.
Dr. Giacaman is also Visiting Professor at ACTA, U. Amsterdam, Netherlands, Adjunct Professor of the University of Pennsylvania, USA and Honorary Professor, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. He is also editor and reviewer for numerous national and international journals. He has been regularly invited as keynote speaker in national and international conferences.
Dr. Giacaman currently serves as President of the Cariology Research Group of the IADR (International Association for Dental Research), Advisory Councilor of ORCA (European Organisation for Caries Research) and Associate Editor for Caries Research.
Disclosure: Dr. Giacaman has no relevant financial relationships to disclose.
Course Description
The world is rapidly aging. People are living longer and retaining more teeth. In this context, oral care is not restricted to providing dentures, as it was in the past. Higher prevalence of caries and periodontal disease are reported, in a growing dependent and cognitive impaired population of older persons. Thus, the dental profession faces novel challenges that mandate switching paradigms in prevention and treatment.
Educational Objectives
- Understand the oral health situation of the older population
- Be familiar with current management of prevalent oral diseases
- Learn a proposed conceptual framework for modern Geriatric Dentistry
- Understand the need to expand dental care to the interdisciplinary health team and to public policy.
Contact
PDMContinuingEd@dental.upenn.edu