The dental management of medically compromised patients

There is an increasing population of apparently well, but in fact medically compromised people in the community. Most will require dental treatment at some stage and will usually seek it away from a hospital environment. In a recent survey of a general dental practice in Australia it was found that up to 55 per cent of some age groups had concurrent medical problems. Thus there is a real risk that adverse interactions between medical conditions and dental treatment may occur--on some occasions, even fatal ones. It is not possible for any one individual to know the details of all medical conditions, their treatment and the possible interactions with dental treatment. However, by the application of some sound general principles the risks of any potential interactions can be evaluated. The essential steps are: knowledge of the medical history of all patients; knowledge of the potential interactions; and knowledge of the management of medical emergencies. These principles will be discussed and illustrated by examples of medically compromised patients who may experience common or potentially serious sequelae as a result of dental treatment.