Partnership brings dental care program to Holly Hall

A new working partnership between The University of Texas School of Dentistry at Houston and Holly Hall Retirement Community (HHRC) stands to benefit students and retirees alike.

Second-year dental and dental-hygiene students now go to HHRC weekly to provide oral health assessments and educational programs for residents and their families, caregivers and staff. Patients needing specific dental treatments are referred to their personal dentists or to the School of Dentistry.

Because HHRC is five to 10 minutes away from the school, it's a convenient site for students.

"The fact that it's close to us and has independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing just seemed like a great place offering all different segments of the population," said John Valenza, DDS, dean of the School of Dentistry.

The partnership will foster ongoing and inter-professional relationships, as members of the facility's healthcare team interact with UTSD faculty and students.

As people live longer and retain more natural teeth, their dental care can be complicated by acute or chronic diseases. Dental care for older adults involves diagnosing, treating or preventing dental caries (tooth decay), periodontal (gum) diseases, as well as oral mucosal diseases, head and neck pain, salivary dysfunction and impaired chewing, tasting and swallowing.

Diane Parmer, Holly Hall's executive director, said, "We are excited about our partnership with The University of Texas School of Dentistry and the expansion of our affiliation agreement to include dental services. Our residents feel blessed to have the students at work on the campus providing oral screenings and educational services. It is a win-win situation for everyone: an increase in service to our residents to improve their overall health and the ability to be a part of the training for dental students.
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Source: http://www.chron.com/homes/senior_living/article/Partnership-brings-dental-care-program-to-Holly-6641316.php

In other dental news: Aurident offers the Optimet DS 6000 Scanner which uses patented proprietary conoscopic holographic technology to generate highly accurate and consistent scans.

The DS 6000 Scanner can be used for all dental applications such as copings, full contour crowns, bridges up to 14 units, implants, implant bars and dentures.