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March/April 2025
Dental care for geriatric patients Learning objectives • To understand some of the common additional needs of older patients • To learn ways to enhance older people’s oral health • To recognise the importance of educating patients on lifelong oral care GDC Development Outcome: C
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ife expectancy across the world has been steadily rising, and this trend is set to continue. The World Health Organization (WHO) proposes that in readiness for this increase, healthcare policymakers, and those within the healthcare professions, need to develop strategies to support people in achieving a good quality of life during older age.i Maintaining oral health is essential for older people to ensure they can socialise, communicate and eat well. While oral health has improved over the last 30 years, and the majority of older people currently retain some natural teeth, there remain some risks to the oral health of older people.i Individuals in dentistry have a responsibility to maintain awareness of these issues to ensure they can continue to deliver adequate care to older patients, tailored to their individual needs.
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69.9 years,ii up 2 years since 2000.vii Women tend to live longer in good health than men, and healthy averages vary significantly by region across the UK.viii By 2050, women are expected to live in good health up to an average of age 71.6, and men up to 71.3 years. This means a potential 13.45 average years of life with less than optimal systemic health and associated oral health problems, nearly 2 years longer than current average figures suggest.ii
Some additional oral health challenges for older people This tendency towards poor systemic health, combined with a number of other factors make older people more prone to a range of dental problems.ix For example, older people are at a greater risk of root caries as roots become more
vulnerable with age-related gingival recession. Tooth wear due to attrition and erosion is also a common oral health concern for elders.i The elderly tend to manage chronic health conditions using a combination of medications. The most common side effect of the 200 pharmaceutical drugs most-prescribed to elderly people is xerostomia (dry mouth).i This condition increases the risk of periodontal disease as well as dental decay, due to a reduction of the natural flushing and antimicrobial properties of saliva. Many medications also contain sugar, further risking oral health.i Changes to fine motor control can make handling a conventional toothbrush or managing interdental cleaning more difficult for older people. In addition, people living with dementia may struggle
Brush Up on CPD
Some statistics Accounting for all possible threats, life expectancy is predicted to rise by nearly 5 years by 2050.ii In the UK, life expectancy is 82.06 years,iii and by 2072 the number of people over the age of 65 could rise from 19 to 22.1 million people, comprising 27% of the population.iv An increasing number of over-65s are in good health in the UK, with a record number of people over this age engaged in new employment in 2022.v While health metrics show improvements in the quality of life for many older people, increased life expectancy is forecast to drive a rise in illnesses like ischaemic heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).ii Alzheimer’s Disease currently affects around 982,000 people in the UK, and this is expected to increase to 1.4 million by 2040.vi In 2022, the average UK healthy life expectancy (HALE) was reported to be
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