The periodontal disease and the frail elderly

Abstract

Oral health is an extremely important component to the overall health of the individual. With aging, there are some specific requirements and conditions that weaken the patient, some of the diseases are located in the oral cavity. Among all the diseases that comprise the oral cavity as loss of teeth, non-functional partial and total prosthesis lesions in the oral mucosa, coronary and root caries, periodontal diseases specifically represent an important role in systemic health of the patient. Some diseases such as Diabetes Mellitus, lung disease, cardiovascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis, among others, relate to chronic inflammation of the periodontal tissues at some point in their course. The frailty syndrome is characterized by decreased endurance capacity and physiological reserves and is generally associated with an increased risk of disability, dependency, falls, hospitalization and death. In fragile patients usually can be noticed the unintentional weight loss, weakness, slow walking speed, low physical activity and self reported exhaustion. Although many studies being conducted on the impact of periodontal disease on systemic health, little has been studied about the Frailty Syndrome and periodontal diseases. The literature on this relationship is still mostly inconsistent, and most studies focused on other oral diseases. The aim of this study is to elucidate the importance of periodontal health for the elderly, the prevalence of Gingivitis and Periodontitis in old age, the possible relationship between fragility and periodontal disease, and dental approaches to frail elderly patients.