Factors influencing periodontal therapy for the geriatric patient

Anatomic changes in the periodontium occur with aging. There is no indication that these changes predispose to periodontal breakdown. In the United States, there is evidence that older individuals are retaining more teeth and that these teeth have less periodontal disease than previous generations of seniors. Studies comparing the healing of older and younger patients have clearly demonstrated that both groups of patients respond equally well to therapy. Proven methods of periodontal therapy include modified Widman surgery, pocket elimination surgery, or nonsurgical scaling and root planing. Surgical treatment may be used with confidence unless there are medical contraindications. In these cases, nonsurgical therapy may be preferred. If there are physical or mental disabilities that make effective home care difficult, antimicrobial agents, such as the extensively tested chlorhexidine rinse, may be valuable adjuncts. In the future, senior adults can look forward to the benefits of regenerative periodontal procedures that seek to regain lost periodontal support. Age alone should not diminish an individual's right to care because the practitioner has qualms about his or her longevity. Successful treatment of periodontitis by surgical and nonsurgical methods has been extensively documented. Senior patients can benefit from these treatments as much as younger patients, and age is not a barrier to effective periodontal therapy.