Introduction: Aging is an inevitable biological phenomenon. With advancement in the medical sciences, the average life expectancy has increased, implying that older adults are a growing patient demographic for dentistry. An increase of 34 million elderly persons was seen in 2021 and is expected to increase to 56 million by 2031. Geriatric dentistry or gerodontics is defined as the delivery of dental care to older adults involving the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of problems associated with normal aging and age-related diseases as part of an interdisciplinary team with other health care professionals.
Aim: To find the prevalence of the various oral conditions among the geriatric patient population that visited our tertiary care institution at Tamil Nadu Government Dental College and Hospital.
Materials and Methods: A hospital-based retrospective study was conducted on a total of 800 geriatric patients (males: 536 (67%); females: 264 (33%)), who visited the Department Of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Tamil Nadu Government Dental College and Hospital Chennai during the period of March 2019 to March 2020 (12 months). The study was approved by the ethical committee (Reference no:5/IERB/2021). These cases were retrospectively analysed based on the patients’ data available in the department. The records were classified into three groups based on age, Group I: n=653 (65 – 74 years), Group II: n=137 (75 – 84 years), Group III: n=10 (>85 years). Information such as age, sex, and diagnosis was recorded, and appropriate treatment was given to the patients as well as proper referral for timely care. The data obtained was analysed.
Results and Conclusion: Group I revealed n=227 (34.7%) of dental caries, n=198 (30%) of periodontal disease, and n=84 (12%) of edentulism; Group II revealed n=40 (29%) of dental caries and n=52 (37.9%) of periodontal disease; Group III revealed n=3 (3%) dental caries and n=4 (4%) of periodontal disease. Dental caries and periodontal disease are more prevalent among the geriatric patients. A poor oral status will eventually lead to eating problems, weight loss, and dehydration, aggravating the existing problems. We arrived at an algorithm for the diagnosis, treatment, and referral of geriatric patients. This will facilitate the early diagnosis of lesions and disorders in geriatric patients and thereby improving their quality of life. The geriatric oral care should be a holistic approach to guarantee optimal oral health. Hence all tertiary care centres should avail a separate approach to geriatric health care along with dentistry.
Schlagwörter: Dentistry, geriatric, oral, health