A physician will discuss hospice when an illness cannot be cured and the patient has only six months remaining. Medical intervention shifts from treatment for a cure to providing quality of life through pain management. Dental hospice naturally includes controlling oral pain. It also addresses smoothing a chipped tooth to prevent a sore tongue, applying silver diamine fluoride to arrest advancing caries, and replacing a maxillary denture incisor so the patient can easily speak, smile, and enjoy visits with family and friends. The dental team should be available to continue providing oral comfort up to life’s end. All dental schools should teach caring during all stages of life, including near death. This training is not time-consuming — it is purely caring and preserves dignity. The patient must not be ignored.
Learning Objectives:
Understand how the inclusion of dentistry in the interdisciplinary hospice team provides a more complete quality of life.
Examine ways that dentistry can be included as a prominent component in current hospice discussions.
.png)
.jpg "Ben F. Warner, MS, DDS, MD, MAGD photo")