Geriatric Dentistry: A Review

Abstract

ABSTRACT Education in geriatric medicine is in its infancy in India and geriatric dentistry is nonexistent. Poor oral health is linked to serious systemic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and stroke. Edentulousness and paucity of prosthodontic rehabilitation prevent the elderly from choosing food that they like and deny them the pleasure of eating, which is essential for a feeling of wellbeing. Oral mucosal diseases and lesions are common in elderly people. Many older adults have pigmented and benign soft-tissue and hard-tissue conditions. Lichenoid mucosal lesions can also be caused by a variety of medications commonly prescribed in older patients. The prevalence of leukoplakia and lichen planus in older people ranges from 1.0 to 4.8% and 1.1 to 6.6%, respectively. Fifty percent of zoster patients over 60 years of age will develop postherpetic neuralgia that may persist for months or even years. Root surface caries result from an age-related condition that develops on cementum following gingival recession or as an extension of existing coronal caries onto the root surface coronal caries are also quite prevalent among older persons. A recent survey of 65-74-year-old in Madagascar observed that the mean number of DMFT was 20.2. In China, second national oral health survey revealed that the mean number of decayed and filled teeth was 2.5 at old age, and study in India confirmed this figure observed in China, the mean number of decayed teeth being 2.5. Denture stomatitis is a common oral mucosal lesion of clinical importance in old-age populations. The prevalence rate of stomatitis is reported within the range of 11-67% in complete denture wearers. Other major denture-related lesions include denture hyperplasia and traumatic ulcer; their prevalence rates in old-age denture wearers range from 4 to 26%.