ORAL DISEASE IN THE GERIATRIC-PATIENT - THE PHYSICIANS ROLE

In the elderly, oral health has a profound impact on general well-bein g. The ability to quickly identify potentially harmful oral health pro blems is valuable to the physician, who generally will see an older pa tient more often than the dentist will. Many medications and condition s can contribute to xerostomia and, therefore, to the development of d ental caries and destruction of the teeth. Periodontal disease can als o lead to increased susceptibility to caries and loss of teeth but is preventable through regular dental care. Bacteremia originating in ora l foci can cause serious conditions such as endocarditis, infections o f prosthetic joints and contamination of vascular access devices, espe cially in immunocompromised patients. To reduce their risk of bacterem ia, neutropenic patients should receive broad spectrum antibiotics bef ore undergoing dental procedures. Oral cancer is easily treated if det ected early. Patients undergoing cancer chemotherapy have special prob lems, as chemotherapeutic agents are highly toxic to the oral mucosa.