Endodontics and the ageing population: extraction is not always their only option
Featured Products Promotional FeaturesPosted by: Dental Design 6th February 2024
For any new and novice dentist, the challenges facing the industry also represent opportunities. Now is the time to get ready for what is coming, in order to help more people and, in doing so, boost your service offering and earning potential.
We are already seeing trends for more complex treatments, and an increased demand for solutions to difficult dental dilemmas across the population. The patient demographic is changing too, with higher numbers in the 65 and over age bracket. The future burden of oral disease among the ageing population is a complex matter, though, as you will know patients in their 60s, 70s and beyond who remain motivated to practise dental hygiene that is exemplary, by anyone’s standards. They are committed to regular, routine visits and are fully engaged with any advice the dental team gives them.
But, despite their excellent habits and behaviours, they need to understand that, occasionally, an intervention will be required. Over time, changes to their teeth, periodontium, oral mucosa, salivary glands, also to oral motor and sensory function, naturally occur.[1] Elderly adults are also going to present with age-related wear and tear, as well as dentition that has previously been restored. Modern methods of teeth restoration are far more conservative and concerned with preserving healthy tissue than past modalities, which may have compromised the long-term stability of the teeth and gingiva.
Elderly people are also more prone to caries, including root caries which are often painless.[2] Other, normal and age-related changes to expect include a thicker pre-dentine layer, the pulp space having reduced dimensions and dentine that is “more likely to have cracks within its structure”.[3] As with all patients, pulpitis can remain undetected until an infection has set in.
Older patients want to enjoy all the benefits of a functional and beautiful smile. If there is a viable alternative to a removable prosthesis to replace a damaged tooth, for example, or to an extraction, they will be interested and want to learn more.
Endodontic therapy is a positive choice for patients of all ages; a minimally-invasive and highly ethical way to save a tooth. It can be delivered efficiently and cost-effectively, allowing people to get on with their lives, knowing that function and aesthetics have been restored. Endodontics can be transformative, not just to health but to wellbeing. It’s a treatment that will get people out of any pain, and avoid the emotional trauma that can come with having a tooth surgically removed.
If infection has been diagnosed for a diligent elderly patient, tell them that this does not mean they have failed to look after their teeth. Instead, they should consider this to be interceptive treatment to put them back on track. Rather than think their routine is no longer working, they just need a little more help. This is modern dentistry – preventive care in action that will offer robust protection against future problems. Successful endodontics will not just eliminate infection, but it will prevent reinfection, too. This is why it is absolutely worth investing in, especially at a practice committed to using cutting-edge techniques and materials, to make the process simple, quick and pain-free.
When recommending a tooth be endodontically treated, give your patients the full picture. The words ‘root canal’ can be loaded, especially for older adults who may have had bad experiences. Explain how comfortable you will make them. Bring the dental nurse, dental therapist and/or dental hygienist in to your planning sessions, so there can be a discussion about recovery and the maintenance schedule. Although a highly-successful option, endodontic patients do need to know if and when to worry post-treatment, and when to get in touch with the practice. Talk about the equipment and materials you will use, and how you only select the very best. COLTENE’s endodontic range has been designed to support stable outcomes, also ease of use and flexibility. Its HyFlex EDM file-shaping sequence means clinicians often only need one or two files during the whole process, supporting great value, too. If you are delivering a non-surgical retreatment, the COLTENE REMOVER file is ideal. Also known for offering exceptional customer service, dentists and practice can join its Rewards programme to get even more out of the products they choose.
Getting older does impact on oral health, but it would be a mistake to assume that all elderly patients are uninterested in conservative therapies. An extraction is not the only choice for many people post 65, and endodontic therapy can offer a way to keep a tooth in function and prevent future problems. Many older adults want to keep taking care of their teeth so, if they’re suitable, offer them the choice of conservative endodontics that they deserve. When delivered using premium tools and materials, they can stay in good oral health and smiling beautifully for years to come.
For more on COLTENE, visit www.coltene.com,
email info.uk@coltene.com or call 0800 254 5115.
[1] De Rossi SS, Slaughter YA. Oral changes in older patients: A clinician’s guide. Quintessence International. 2007 Oct 1;38 (9).
[2] Griffin SO, Jones JA, Brunson D, Griffin PM, Bailey WD. Burden of oral disease among older adults and implications for public health priorities. American Journal of Public Health. 2012;102(3):411-8.
[3] Johnstone M, Parashos P. Endodontics and the ageing patient. Australian Dental Journal. 2015 Mar; 60:20-7.
