Zilinskaite-Petrauskiene I, Haug S R. A Comparison of Endodontic Treatment Factors, Operator Difficulties and perceived Oral Health-Related Quality of Life between Elderly and Young Patients. J Endod 2021; doi: 10.1016/j.joen.2021.08.017. Online ahead of print.

...an important option, not to be dismissed for ageist reasons

'A person of chronological age of 65 years or older is referred to as "elderly"'. That's not a good first line. This reviewer is well over 65 and is definitely not 'elderly'. The term carries negative connotations of frailty and weakness. I'm not 'geriatric' either. Words matter. Rant over.

This paper recognises that dentists may have ageist, negative, inaccurate perceptions of older people and, unjustifiably, offer more limited or sub-optimal care for them. Comparing treatment provided for 75 young (18-64 years old) and 75 older (>65) people, it was recognised that root canal location is often more difficult for older patients, particularly if it necessitated access through a full-coverage restoration. However, there was no significant difference in the technical outcomes of treatment between the two groups. Older patients reported a significantly better oral health-related quality of life than younger patients. Ironically, 'the clinical implication of this study is to caution against stereotypic perceptions of the elderly patients'.