25 Jul 2025 | Claudia Gratz, Malte Jädicke
Meeting of the 'senior citizens and disabled persons' representatives of the State Dental Association
Dr. Torsten Tomppert, President of the Baden-Württemberg State Dental Association, opens the meeting.
On April 12, 2025, the senior citizens and disabled persons representatives, or SuB for short, of the Baden-Württemberg State Dental Association (LZK BW) met in Stuttgart for their statewide exchange of experiences.
The program traditionally begins with a keynote speech. Malte and I were fortunate that Dr. Elmar Ludwig, a dentist and consultant for geriatric dentistry at the LZK, asked us if we would be interested in giving a presentation at the meeting.
Oral and dental health is a particularly challenging issue in early neurological rehabilitation. Neurological clinics do not usually have a specialist dentist who can be consulted in the event of problems.
And many patients are unable to visit a dental practice during their stay in hospital due to their limitations.
Dr. Torsten Tomppert, President of the Baden-Württemberg State Dental Association, opens the meeting.
Lecture on the importance of the oral cavity in F.O.T.T.®
At the end of the presentation, Dr. Elmar Ludwig presents Claudia and Malte with a handle attachment for manual toothbrushes.
TePe Extra Grip - a practical grip holder for manual toothbrushes for people with limited grip function.
That's why it was a great opportunity for us to give a presentation entitled 'The Importance of the Oral Cavity in F.O.T.T.®' as a keynote speech for this meeting in front of an audience that was rather unfamiliar to therapists, and to engage in conversation with the dentists.
Around 60 dentists listened with great interest as we presented the F.O.T.T.® concept and demonstrated how we approach the oral cavity, the structures of the oropharyngeal tract, and their functions in the context of everyday life.
We first delved into the history of F.O.T.T.® and began with the question of how a young English speech therapist in the late 1960s came to think about speech therapy treatment for neurological patients and, subsequently, dysphagia therapy in a much broader and more holistic way than was customary at the time.
Her collaboration with Berta and Karel Bobath was key to the birth of Kay Coombes' holistic treatment concept.
Our presentation covered the conceptual foundations, highlighted the core areas of F.O.T.T.® and the goals we pursue in therapy, and provided examples of diagnostic findings and treatment interventions.
We were able to illustrate the challenges we face and where we reach our limits, and that we actually need a dentist who understands neurological patients.
At the end of the presentation, Dr. Elmar Ludwig presents Claudia and Malte with a handle attachment for manual toothbrushes.
TePe Extra Grip - a practical grip holder for manual toothbrushes for people with limited grip function.
Exchange with dentists
During the break, there was a lively exchange. A dentist approached us and described the case of a very young woman who lives in a nursing home and lies in bed with her mouth wide open 24 hours a day. Our presentation had given him the idea that, in this particular case, more could perhaps be done therapeutically to address the oral problem than the nursing staff were able to do.
After the F.O.T.T.® presentation, we were invited to continue attending the meeting, which allowed us to listen to an impressive presentation on inclusive dentistry by dentist Sarah Gronwald and a presentation on current developments in geriatric dentistry by Dr. Elmar Ludwig.
Summary
We were both very impressed by how much is being done in Baden-Württemberg in the field of dental care for people with disabilities.
