Abstract
Maintenance of oral health is essential for the elderly to improve their quality of life. It has been reported that removable prosthodontic treatment for dependent elderly patients plays an important role in their QOL. On the other hand, dental treatment of the elderly including prosthidontic treatment should be performed very carefully because of the possibility of cardiac disease, carebrovascular disease and other types of vascular impairments.
The purpose of the study was to verify the risk of removable prosthodontic treatment for dependent elderly patients in our university's home-based dental treatment system. 88 dependent elderly patients (average age 74.6±11.1 years old) were investigated as to their systemic disease, the type of treatment, the place of treatment and number of visits for treatment. Moreover, a sample group of fourteen of the 88 patients were measured for heart rate, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure by sphygmomanometer at pre-, inter-and post treatments. RPP (rate pressure product) and SpO2 (hemoglobin saturation of oxygen) were measured by Blood Pressure Monitor BP-88 (COLIN, Japan).
As for the type of treatment, removable prosthodontic treatment accounted for 83% of all dental treatment. 49% of procedures involved repair and relining of existing dentures, and 34% involved construction and insertion of new dentures.
As for systemic desease, cerebrovascular disease was found in 51 patients, and cardiac disease was found in 15 patients. These two diseases affected 67% of all the patients.
As for hemodynamic changes, systolic blood pressure and RPP were increased remarkably in denture adjustment for the patients with pain of residual mucous membrane.
From this investigation, it was suggested that the check and monitoring vital signs are necessary to those in need of denture adjustment and for patients with pain of residual mucous membrane in dependent elderly patients as well those receiving surgical treatment.
