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Oral Health Assessment by Lay Personnel for Older Adults
Published on: February 2, 2020
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Endodontics and the ageing patient.
1Melbourne Dental School, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Australian Dental Journal
|March 13, 2015
Summary
Endodontic treatment is vital for older adults, preserving natural teeth for better health and quality of life. Age-related changes in teeth present unique challenges for endodontic therapy in the elderly population.
Area of Science:
- Geriatric Dentistry
- Endodontics
- Dental Public Health
Background:
- Increasingly, older adults retain natural teeth, making endodontic treatment crucial for their oral health and overall well-being.
- Natural teeth retention in the elderly enhances quality of life and longevity, with teeth sometimes essential for prosthesis support.
- Elderly patients often have medical complications that make dental extractions riskier than endodontic procedures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review age-related changes in the dental pulp and dentin complex.
- To discuss the diagnostic challenges in endodontic treatment for elderly patients.
- To outline treatment planning and therapeutic considerations for endodontics in geriatric patients.
Main Methods:
- This is a review article, synthesizing existing literature on endodontics in the elderly.
- The review focuses on physiological changes associated with aging in the pulpo-dentinal complex.
- Key challenges in diagnosis, treatment planning, and execution of endodontic procedures in older patients are examined.
Main Results:
- Aging leads to calcific changes in the pulpo-dentinal complex, potentially complicating endodontic procedures.
- Diagnosing endodontic issues in the elderly requires careful consideration of age-related physiological alterations.
- Treatment planning must account for the unique anatomical and physiological characteristics of older patients' teeth.
Conclusions:
- Endodontic treatment goals for the elderly are similar to younger patients, but anatomical changes necessitate adapted approaches.
- Understanding age-related pulpo-dentinal changes is essential for successful endodontic outcomes in geriatric patients.
- This review highlights the importance of specialized considerations for endodontic care in an aging population.
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