Alice Kit Ying Chan
Professor Chan is the Clinical Assistant Professor in Restorative Dental Sciences of the Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong (HKU). She received her postgraduate and specialist training in prosthodontics in the University of Hong Kong and is a registered prosthodontist in Hong Kong. She is a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburg, the College of Dental Surgeons in Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine. Dr Chan practiced in dentistry for 15 years before she became an academics. Her research interest is oral health care in older adults. She has published 18 scientific articles in international peer-reviewed journals. She has received four awards in international conferences including the Outstanding Research Award in the 15th International Conference of the Asian Academy of Preventive Dentistry, the 3rd prize of poster presentation in the 2nd General Meeting of Asian-Oceanian Federation of Conservative Dentistry, the Best poster award in the 2022 TU-HKU-FJMU International Symposium Oral Health Sciences and the Most popular poster award in the 11th Hong Kong International Dental Expo and Symposium 2022. She serves as a journal editor in Frontiers in Oral Health and journal reviewers in several journals including Journal of Dentistry and Caries Research.
Lecture Topic: Dysbiotic oral conditions among older adults
Population is ageing. The older adult population is growing in number and proportion worldwide. There will be 1.6 billion of older adults aged 65 or above, consisting 1 in 6 of our population by 2050. Oral diseases are preventable but remain prevalent in older adults. Ages changes, chronic medical conditions and polypharmacy make older adults more vulnerable to oral diseases; numerous evidence showed that oral health was associated with general health and overall well-being of older adults. World Health Organization and FDI World Dental Federation acknowledged oral health as a crucial factor in healthy ageing. With the increasing demand in oral health care in older adults, oral health care professionals should be equipped with knowledge and skill in preventing and managing the dysbiotic oral conditions in geriatric oral care. This presentation will give you an overview of the common dysbiotic oral conditions and their management in older adults.
Dasera Raj
Dr. Dasera Raj Vedha Raj is a registered specialist in Special Care Dentistry with a Bachelor of Dental Surgery from SDM College of Dental Sciences, India, and a Doctor of Clinical Dentistry in Special Needs Dentistry from the University of Melbourne, Australia. A Fellow of the International Association for Disability and Oral Health, he currently serves as the State Head of Specialty for Special Care Dentistry Services at the Ministry of Health Malaysia in Penang, leading the Special Care Dentistry service at Hospital Seberang Jaya since 2014. He is also a visiting specialist at Hospital Pulau Pinang and Hospital Tuanku Fauziah in Perlis, as well as an Adjunct Lecturer at Penang International Dental College (PIDC). His extensive training in Australian institutions has honed his expertise in treating complex patients. A frequent speaker at national and international conferences, Dr. Dasera Raj actively promotes Special Care Dentistry, domiciliary oral healthcare, and geriatric dentistry. His dedication to education, research, and clinical practice continues to enhance oral health outcomes for individuals with disabilities, advocating for a more inclusive approach to dental care in Malaysia and beyond.
Lecture Topic: Connecting strategies: Addressing polypharmacy in geriatric oral health
This presentation highlights a pressing concern of polypharmacy amongst older adults and its implications in oral health. Many elderly live with multiple chronic conditions that require the use of various medications which can cause adverse effects like dry mouth, gum disease and tooth decay in their daily life. The importance of multidisciplinary medication review, involving dentists, physicians, will be emphasized. The presentation will also delve into the critical issue of polypharmacy in older adults and its profound implications on oral health. Patient education will be emphasized focusing on educating older adults about the oral health consequences of their medications. We will explore practical strategies for managing side effects, such as solutions for dry mouth and dietary modifications that can help mitigate oral health risks. Moreover, enhanced collaboration among healthcare providers is advocated to ensure a unified approach that addresses both medication management and oral health care. These strategies can improve the overall well-being of older adults, fostering healthier aging.
Rathna Devi Vaithilingam
Professor Rathna Vaithilingam is currently a Professor of Periodontology in the Faculty of Dentistry, Universiti Malaya. She obtained her dental degree and periodontology specialist qualifications from the Universiti Malaya. She has been a principal investigator in various research projects pertaining to periodontal-systemic relationship in particular periodontitis association with diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis. Her other areas of research interest include oral health related quality of life, genetic studies associated with periodontal disease and periodontal regenerative therapy. Her research output has been published in various peer- reviewed international and local publications. She has presented internationally and locally in her area of expertise. She was previously President of the Malaysian Society of Periodontology and the Malaysian Society for Oral Microbiologists and Oral Immunologists and has been actively involved in organizing national and international conferences and workshops with an emphasis on promoting awareness on the periodontal-systemic relationship.
Lecture Topic: Oral-Systemic relationship with Ageing
Oral health is often neglected among the elderly. However, oral health influences general health and quality of life by impacting both the general health and the psychological state of the individual. The oral-systemic disease association has been gaining importance over the past few decades. This is based on increasing evidence associating oral diseases such as periodontitis with systemic diseases such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, respiratory diseases, rheumatoid arthritis and many more. This association is based on the concept that periodontal inflammation and the periodontal microbiome contribute to the overall burden of inflammation at the systemic level that impacts the incidence, severity, and progression of many other chronic inflammatory conditions. This lecture discusses these associations and the importance of providing dental care to the elderly.
Nurul Sa'idah Ishak
Dr. Nurul Sa’idah Ishak is an Associate Specialist in Special Care Dentistry at RIPAS Hospital, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei. She is also the Head of the Special Care Dentistry Unit and the Dental Occupational HSE Unit at the Ministry of Health, Brunei Darussalam. Holding a Clinical Doctorate in Dental Surgery (Special Care Dentistry) from Dublin Dental University Hospital, Ireland, Dr. Ishak is the first local dentist in Brunei to undergo specialist training in this field. She has been instrumental in developing Special Care Dentistry services in the country, defining its scope, establishing specialist clinics in rural hospitals, and leading workforce training. She collaborates with the Health Promotion Centre on oral health initiatives for the elderly and has spearheaded nationwide programs such as ‘Program Senyum Kasih,’ a home-based dental screening initiative for bed-bound and accessibility-challenged patients (2024–2028). Dr. Ishak is a key figure in Brunei's dental healthcare management and was awarded the prestigious Mega-Choi Award at the IADH 2024 in Seoul for her contributions to Special Care Dentistry.
Lecture Topic: Oral care protocol for geriatric patients with Dysphagia
Dysphagia is an increasingly common problem in geriatric patients universally. The average prevalence of dysphagia among elderly population in the community was found to be 15%. Dysphagia poses significant oral health risks which includes poor oral clearance, increased plaque and calculus accumulation, increased susceptibility to dry mouth, increased caries risk and aspiration risk during home oral care as well as during dental treatment. Standardised risk assessment tool in geriatic patients will help oral health professionals in developing individualised oral care protocol for their patients with Dysphagia.