Advanced restorative dentistry - a problem for the elderly? An ethical dilemma

The type of dental restorations taken into old age may have an adverse effect on the quality of life of the elderly. Root caries and dry mouth increase in prevalence with age and may precipitate the breakdown of remaining natural and restored teeth. At present the availability of dental personnel and facilities in residential aged care facilities (RACFs) is limited, often non-existent, and the elderly living at home may be unable to easily gain access to dental care. Thus, the provision of appropriate and timely dental treatment may not occur, resulting in prolonged pain and suffering. It is important that, as our elderly population increasingly retain natural teeth into advanced old age, appropriate funds are made available to ensure their dental health is maintained. A lack of early intervention to arrest dental disease may result in life-threatening medical consequences in the elderly, such as ventilator assisted pneumonia or the need for a general anaesthetic and possible associated medical risks. Significant local disease, such as osteonecrosis, may also result from a lack of appropriate dental intervention. The necessity to remove questionable teeth prior to irradiation for neoplastic disease or bisphosphonate prescription for neoplastic disease or severe osteoporosis emphasizes the need for regular dental care. In contrast, extensive dental restorative treatment for younger people may have benefits, such as optimal dental aesthetics and oral function, but in older individuals careful consideration should be given to select the most appropriate treatment modality so that adverse situations can be avoided or their resolution simplified should they occur later when the individual is compromised or in a RACF. This may mean the use of conservative dental restorative materials and an avoidance of complex restorative options which may be difficult for the individual or RACF staff to maintain. Some years after receipt of their complex restorations they may be unable to cope with the operative demands and financial burden of resolving their deteriorating dental situation and so complex implant-born structures and precision removable prostheses should probably be avoided for those individuals contemplating entering a care situation. Therefore, the timing of the provision of complex dentistry poses an ethical dilemma.