General
The Generation 60 + has experienced a time of dental care when sweets were more interesting than toothbrushes. Teeth were basically not treated, but simply extracted when they caused problems. Nowadays we have the obligation to show to this generation what modern dentistry is capable of doing. Tooth loss IS NOT an unavoidable part of age anymore. We now know more about physiological and age-related changes in the oral cavity, and we see that these changes are as minor as in the gastro-intestinal system.
The special situation of dental treatment of senior citizens has been summarized in the DMS IV demographic investigation, a representative inquiry in Germany published in November 2006. The most important fact for our senior citizens between 65 and 74 was a recession of cavities for the first time, but a progression of periodontal disease of 23.7 %.
According to this study, 48% of our senior citizens suffer from a moderate and 39.8 % from a severe periodontal disease. These patients have lost an average of 14.2 teeth and 40% of the adult population shows symptoms of cranio—mandibular dysfunction (CMD).
