Abstract
We investigated the general complications of patients at Dandelion Dental Clinic, a (stationed) dental clinic for aged bedridden people living at home managed by Katsushika-ward Dental association. The Safety control of these complications as well as their courses during the dental treatment period were studied. The risk of general complications in the dental treatment of aged bedridden people was thus investigated. The subjects were 319 patients treated at the clinic for a period of 4 years and 2 months from February 1990 to March 1994. Their average age was 77 and the eldest was 100 years old. The most common complication (27% of coses) before dental treatment was cerebral vascular disorders. Problems evoked during the dental treatment were hypertension (8 cases), arrhythmia (7 cases), bad feeling (3 cases), and 1 case each of thoracic pain and requirement of house call of a physiscian. During and after the dental treatment, 38 cases were admitted to hospital due to aggravation of the general condition and 45 ceased treatment. 15 cases died within 2days to 1month of the last dental treat ment. From the reasults of this investigatition, the following points were clarified: It is best to obtain Information from the physician irrespective of the patieat's apparent condition, and whether or not local anesthesia is needed, since the patients have high risks. The actual dental treatment including any invasive treatment is possible only when there are sufficient preliminary investigations as described above and with the help of a anesthesiolosist. Among notifications from physicians about dental treatment, more attention should be paid to deglutition.
