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Systemic diseases in elderly dental patients
1Department of Geriatric Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan.
Insights
A study of 1012 elderly patients found that 64.2% have systemic diseases, with hypertension being the most common. Dentists must identify these conditions to ensure patient safety during dental treatment.
Area of Science:
- Gerodontology
- Cardiovascular Health
- Internal Medicine
Background:
- Systemic diseases are prevalent in elderly populations.
- Gerodontic patients frequently present with multiple comorbidities.
- Understanding systemic health is crucial for safe dental practice.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence of systemic diseases in elderly patients attending a gerodontic clinic.
- To identify common systemic conditions and their combinations in this demographic.
- To highlight the importance of pre-treatment assessment for patient safety.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study involving 1012 elderly patients.
- Data collection included medical history and clinical examination findings.
- Analysis focused on the prevalence and types of systemic diseases, including hypertension.
Main Results:
- 64.2% of patients had one or more systemic diseases.
- Hypertension was the most frequent (30.9%), followed by angina pectoris, diabetes, and arrhythmias.
- 17% had multiple diseases, with hypertension frequently co-occurring with cardiovascular conditions.
- Isolated systolic hypertension was observed in 14.3% of patients.
Conclusions:
- Elderly dental patients commonly exhibit a range of systemic diseases.
- Hypertension is a significant comorbidity in this population.
- Comprehensive medical evaluation before dental treatment is essential to mitigate risks associated with systemic conditions and dental procedures.
Abstract:
Systemic diseases, blood pressure and pulse rate, were investigated in 1012 elderly patients who consulted the gerodontic clinic of Tokyo Medical and Dental University Hospital. One or more systemic diseases was found in 64.2 per cent of the subjects. Hypertension was the most frequent systemic disease, occurring in 30.9 per cent of the subjects, and was followed by angina pectoris, diabetes, arrhythmias, digestive diseases, cerebrovascular diseases and myocardial infarction, respectively. Nearly 17 per cent of the patients had two or more diseases. Among these diseases, hypertension was frequently combined with angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, arrhythmia, and cerebrovascular diseases. Patients with systemic diseases are at a greater risk during dental treatment. Psychosomatic stress and vasoconstrictors in local anaesthesia possibly induce the exacerbation of systemic diseases or unexpected cardiovascular reactions. Isolated systolic hypertension (systolic blood pressure of 160 mm Hg or more) was noted in 14.3 per cent of the patients. Among these patients, 6.3 per cent of patients were hypertensive patients who had both above 160 mm Hg systolic pressure and 95 mm Hg diastolic pressure. Elderly dental patients have various systemic diseases. Accordingly, it is very important for the dentist to identify systemic diseases of patients and to understand systemic conditions before treatment commences.