Considerations for physicians caring for older adults with periodontal disease

Periodontal disease is a generic term encompassing a variety of inflammatory conditions affecting the supporting tissues of the teeth. Periodontitis is inflammation associated with net resorption of supporting alveolar bone and periodontal ligament. Gingivitis is inflammation limited to the covering gingival tissues and does not directly lead to tooth mobility or loss. Periodontal diseases are very prevalent. Because the bone and ligament resorption are essentially irreversible, accumulated tissue damage of periodontitis is reflected in a prevalence and severity that increase with age. Periodontitis is not caused by aging per se but by a complex host-parasite relationship in which specific pathogens among the subgingival microbiota not only injure tissues directly but stimulate a cascade of inflammatory mediators to damage host tissues. Analytic epidemiology has identified several risk indicators for advanced periodontitis in older adults. These are microbiologic (prevalence of certain anaerobes in the microbiota), behavioral (tobacco smoking and infrequent professional dental care), medical (older age, preexisting and generalized periodontitis, gingival bleeding), and social (financial worries). Periodontitis in older adults is treated by reducing the impact of these risk indicators. The infections are controlled by combinations of debridement, antimicrobial agents, and surgical procedures as indicated. Medically well older adults can be treated similarly to younger adults. Management of periodontal conditions can be complicated for patients who are medically compromised. Communication between physicians and dental personnel is often required to ascertain the medical history and list of medications taken by older patients. Many of the medications prescribed for medical problems associated with aging impact on treatment choices for managing periodontitis. Moreover, periodontists frequently prescribe analgesics, antibiotics, and anti-inflammatory agents that might interact with others among the numerous drugs taken by older patients. Older adults with cognitive or physical disabilities have special needs for individualized hygiene instruction and implements. Periodontal health promotion and improving access to periodontal care for the elderly are challenges, because dental services are most often in the private sector and dental insurance does not often apply after retirement. Because they grew up in an era in which tooth loss due to "gum" diseases was considered inevitable, their current motivation toward regular preventive care must be improved by removing barriers and impediments to care. In addition to life-threatening medical conditions, frail individuals institutionalized in collective living centers face compounded problems concerning the provision of adequate, not even optimal, dental care. Their periodontal health often deteriorates rapidly after institutionalization, and in some instances it can possibly predispose to aspiration pneumonia or other disseminated infections.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)