I had the honor of being the keynote speaker at the conference "The Power of the Third Smile - Oral Health and Longevity in Debate", which took place on November 20th. An initiative of Médis, in partnership with Renascença, the event focused on the importance of oral healthcare for healthy, active and happy ageing.
“A Relação entre a Saúde Oral e a Qualidade de Vida da População Idosa em Portugal” (“The Relationship between Oral Health and Quality of Life among the Elderly Population in Portugal”) is the name of the study developed by Médis, in partnership with Fórum Saúde XXI, which was discussed at the conference. The study presented, among several interesting subjects, the link between oral health and active longevity, explaining, for example, how tooth loss, poor adaptation of prostheses and neglect of preventive care have a direct impact on nutrition, self-esteem and the general health of the Portuguese elderly.
With the theme “From traditional to modern dentistry – the impact of evolution on the health and longevity of the Portuguese elderly population”, my talk covered the evolution of dentistry, the role of technology in this area, the indisputable link between oral health and systemic health, the relevance of revision dentistry, the development of state-of-the-art dental prostheses, and the impact of oral health on quality of life and society.
Portugal is getting older and this implies new challenges for oral health, in order to guarantee the autonomy and well-being of the elderly, while promoting healthy ageing. Regarding “The Power of the Third Smile”, I believe that good dentistry in old age is not a luxury, it’s a human right. We all deserve to grow old with dignity, comfort and the confidence of a safe smile.
Thank you so much for the invitation, it was a pleasure to take part in this event.
You can watch the entire conference here.
