Contemporary Challenges and Management of Dental Caries in the Older Population

Abstract

The prevalence of caries is set to increase in the coming years as a result of a growing ageing population and a concomitant reduction in levels of edentulousness. Evidence for management of caries in older adults is scarce compared to that for the child population, however, similar principles of risk assessment, prevention and minimal intervention should be applied by dental health professionals. Early identification of high-risk older adults facilitates the implementation of risk reduction strategies, such as topical fluoride regimes. When operative intervention cannot be avoided, Atraumatic Restorative Technique (ART) may allow for conservative cavity preparation and has the advantage of being suitable for the domiciliary setting.