As our ageing population retain more teeth into old age, the burden of dental maintenance increases. This text presents an overview of these challenges facing the dentist and how edentulousness in old age can be prevented with long-term treatment planning. Treatment strategies designed to minimize risk to the remaining natural dentition are also described.

131 pp; 83 illus; (78 in color);

ISBN: 1-85097-056-4; 1850970564;
978-1-85097-056-9; 9781850970569;

Contents:
Chapter 1 The Edentulous State (P Finbarr Allen)
Chapter 2 Changing Times: The Dentate Elderly (P Finbarr Allen)
Chapter 3 Threats to Oral Health in Older Adults (P Finbarr Allen)
Chapter 4 Ageing and Periodontal Disease (M Milward)
Chapter 5 Root Caries: Aetiology, Diagnosis and Management (F M Burke)
Chapter 6 Tooth Wear in Older Adults (P Finbarr Allen)
Chapter 7 Endodontics and the Older Adult (J M Whitworth and P Finbarr Allen)
Chapter 8 Functionally Oriented Treatment Planning (P Finbarr Allen)
Chapter 9 Tooth Replacement in Partially Dentate Older Adults (P Finbarr Allen)
Chapter 10 Overdentures: The Bottom Line for Older Adults (P Finbarr Allen)
Index

Preface
As the population ages, dentists will have to provide care for larger numbers of older adults. Improvements in dental health have led to increasing numbers of dentate older adults, but there is a high burden of maintenance associated with ageing dentitions. Older adult patients will present a range of challenges and demands. There will be fewer new edentulous patients, but the threat of total tooth loss will remain a reality for significant numbers of adults for the foreseeable future. Dentists will be expected to provide care for these patients in an era of diminishing resources for healthcare. This text, using currently available clinical and research-based evidence, aims to give the general dental practitioner an insight into the management of older adults. The first chapter gives an overview of the problems experiences by the edentulous patient. The presentation, aetiology and diagnosis of common disease states affecting the dentate older adult are then discussed and management strategies are outlined. The final chapter covers the use of complete overdentures and invites the reader to consider whether this should be the end-point of dental treatment for older adults.

Having Read This Book
It is hoped that having read this book the reader will be able to:
Understand the consequences of total tooth loss and the desirability of avoiding edentulousness if at all possible.
Recognize that there is an expanding older adult population who are retaining more of their teeth than ever before, and that much of this older population are not willing to accept tooth loss as an inevitable consequence of ageing.
Recognize that there are many threats to the goal of healthy ageing of the oral tissues.
Recognize that health promotion as well as disease prevention is an important aspect of clinical care in this population.
Understand that ill health is not an inevitable part of ageing and that complex treatment is not contraindicated in older adults.
Understand that long-term treatment planning is essential to avoid total tooth loss at an advanced age.
Recognize that, for some older adults, it is acceptable to limit treatment goals to provide a functional rather than a complete dentition.
Recognize the importance of thinking strategically if edentulousness is to be avoided. If roots are to be retained to support an overdenture, this should be the final phase in long term treatment planning.
P Finbarr Allen