According to a recent university study, the main reason that elderly Blacks don't schedule regular dental office visits is because of the negative experiences that they have encountered with an uncaring dentist.

The findings come from a yearlong survey in West Philadelphia senior centers examining the dental-care habits and attitudes of Blacks.

The dentist's "chair-side" manner ranks higher than cost, fear or race in deterring older Blacks from keeping dental appointments, said Ann Slaughter, principal investigator of the study and assistant professor of dental care systems in the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine.

"They just wanted someone to listen to them, to explain what was going on," said Slaughter. "To me, that was one of the more exciting findings because what that was saying to us from an educational standpoint is there are measures we can take within the profession ... to promote the health of our African-American elders."

Slaughter, head of the dental school's geriatrics curriculum, said she has already begun to incorporate her findings into the classroom. She also hopes to develop a continuing education course for practicing dentists.

Results from a dental screening at senior centers conducted by Slaughter during her research showed that while 8 percent of those screened experienced dental pain, 64 percent actually had dental problems.

With her findings Slaughter intends to stress how dental health is directly related to overall health--a message she thinks will strike a chord with the seniors who want to keep active.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Johnson Publishing Co.
COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group