Oral health in the elderly patient and its impact on general well-being: a nonsystematic review

Abstract

José Antonio Gil-Montoya,1 Ana Lucia Ferreira de Mello,2 Rocío Barrios,3 Miguel Angel Gonzalez-Moles,4 Manuel Bravo3 1Special Care in Dentistry–Gerodontology Department, Granada School of Dentistry, Granada, Spain; 2Dentistry Department, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, Brazil; 3Preventive and Oral Public Health Department, Granada School of Dentistry, Granada, Spain; 4Oral Medicine Department, Granada School of Dentistry, Granada, Spain Abstract: Data on the oral health of the elderly depict a worrying situation, with an elevated prevalence of caries and moderate periodontal disease, frequent edentulism, and numerous cases of dry mouth and oral cancer. There is wide evidence that periodontitis is a risk factor for certain systemic diseases, and impaired oral health has been associated with mastication and nutritional problems, especially among the elderly, with highly negative effects on their quality of life. In this nonsystematic review, the authors discuss the importance of evaluating the oral health of the geriatric population in a comprehensive manner, beyond simple clinical assessments. Keywords: oral health, oral health-related quality of life, well-being, elderlyA letter to the Editor has been received and published for this article.

Keywords

• Oral health
• Oral Health Related Quality of Life
• well-being
• elderly.