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Oral medicine considerations for the older patient

British Dental Journal volume 236, pages 251–260 (2024)Cite this article

Abstract

With the proportion of the world population aged over 60 years expected to nearly double to 22% by 2050, health care professionals are faced with the challenge of ensuring they are ready to address this demographic shift. As people age, they are more likely to develop comorbidities which have implications for their oral health. The effects of polypharmacy used to address these underlying health problems can also influence the oral health of older-aged patients. From a clinician's perspective, an awareness of the variety of conditions associated with old age, such as oral-mucosal disease, swellings and manifestations of underlying health conditions, are required to ensure appropriate referral, investigation and management, both in primary and secondary care settings. This article aims to provide the practitioner with an overview of orofacial and oral mucosal conditions commonly encountered with the older patient.

Key points

  • Older patients are more likely to have established or undiagnosed medical comorbities which should be considered as a potential cause for their clinical presentation.

  • It is the clinician's duty to be conscientious when prescribing for older patients in terms of the side effects, interactions and oral manifestations associated with each medication.

  • If oral lesions do not resolve following first line management, referral to specialist hospital services should be considered.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge Professor Philip Lamey as well as the Medical Illustration Department at Belfast Health & Social Care Trust for the provision of clinical photographs.

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  1. Specialty Registrar in Oral Medicine, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, Belfast, UK

    Conor O’Gorman

  2. Senior Clinical Lecturer and Consultant in Oral Medicine, Queens University Belfast, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, Belfast, UK

    Amanda Willis

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Conor O'Gorman and Amanda Willis both contributed equally to this article and accept responsibility for the entire content of the manuscript. Both authors approve its submission.

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Correspondence to Conor O’Gorman.

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O’Gorman, C., Willis, A. Oral medicine considerations for the older patient. Br Dent J 236, 251–260 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-024-7060-1

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