The elderly patient

Elderly patients' age affects various bio-psycho-social parameters of their diseases. A patient's old age itself often evokes a multiform recoil in dentists, directly opposite to the required therapeutic attitude. The essential principle in gerodontics is dentist-patient cooperation, attainable only if the latter is approached in a holistic and respectful manner.     

The medically compromised patient

Diabetes mellitus is found in up to 5 per cent of the population. There is an excess of blood sugar due to a deficiency or diminished effectiveness of insulin. It is a complex disease which, if not controlled, has many major complications including an increased incidence of heart attacks, strokes and vascular changes in many other organs. The management of young onset diabetic patients is directed towards: controlling the carbohydrate intake, testing the blood sugar by the patient and regular insulin injections. Great care must be taken in treating diabetics in the dental surgery. Except for children, any diabetic can be treated for simple dental procedures by ensuring freedom from pain, by eliminating stress and by ensuring that the patient does not miss a meal. Children, unstable diabetic patients and those with infections or requiring multiple extractions should be treated in hospital under the care of an endocrinologist. In hypertension it is only after a number of years that complications begin to appear. The main ones are those of stroke, retinal haemorrhages, renal failure and heart disease. Dentists should be encouraged to take the blood pressure of all adults who present for treatment. Patients with increased blood pressure yet controlled by drugs may be treated as normal patients. Those that are not well controlled should be referred to their physician. Dental appointments must be free of pain and stress should be avoided. A screening method is presented which assists in the evaluation of medically compromised patients.