Systemic Diseases and Oral Health
The US population is at the beginning of a significant demographic shift; the American geriatric population is burgeoning, and average longevity is projected to increase in the coming years. Elder…
Innovations in Dental Care Delivery for the Older Adult
Access to and reducing disparities in oral health for older adults is a complex problem that requires innovative strategies. In addition to offering dental services in alternative settings, such as…
Oral Implications of Polypharmacy in the Elderly
One of the major side effects of medications prescribed to elderly patients is the qualitative and quantitative alteration of saliva (salivary hypofunction). Saliva plays a pivotal role in the homeostasis…
Cognitive Impairment in Older Adults and Oral Health Considerations
Worldwide incidences of degenerative cognitive diseases are increasing as the population ages. This decline in mental function frequently causes behavioral changes that directly affect oral health. The loss of interest…
Oral Health Disparities in Older Adults
Poor oral hygiene has been suggested to be a risk factor for aspiration pneumonia in the institutionalized and disabled elderly. Control of oral biofilm formation in these populations reduces the…
Integrating Oral Health into the Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Curriculum
Oral health inequities for older adults warrant new models of interprofessional education and collaborative practice. The Innovations in Interprofessional Oral Health: Technology, Instruction, Practice and Service curricular model at Bouvé…
Oral Health Disparity in Older Adults
Progress has been made in reducing dental caries and edentulism in older adults, but disparities continue to exist related to race, ethnicity, socioeconomic level, and sex. Lack of training in…
Treatment Planning Considerations in Older Adults
The older patient often presents with clinically challenging dental problems combined with complex medical, social, psychological, and financial barriers to oral health. Through careful consideration, the clinician can design a…
Physiology of Aging of Older Adults
This article reviews the concepts of physiologic reserve, the principles of the normative aging process as exemplified by the cardiovascular, neurologic, and musculoskeletal systems. How these principles apply to oral…
Our Current Geriatric Population
This article describes the rapidly growing geriatric population in the United States. Current and emerging living arrangements include the subgroups of older adults who live at home, retirement villages, assisted…
Geriatric Dentistry
Lisa A. Thompson, DMD, Editor Leonard J. Brennan, DMD, Editor Good oral health is increasingly recognized today as an integral part of the total health care picture that helps ensure…
