Tratamientos prostodóncicos en pacientes geriátricos

Résumé

Clinical experience shows that a high percentage of our geriatric population requires prosthetic treatment. When we require a more precise reference as to the actual situation and which is the direction of the prosthodontic requirements of geriatric patients, we normally collect bibliography on investigations carried out at a national level and in other countries and usually have to face the fact that the information available is not as precise as we would like it to be. As a consequence of the improvement of the population's dental health, the loss of teeth shows a considerable reduction; however, the percentage of totally edentulous patients is quite high and, furthermore, a great part of them have not been treated at all or insufficiently. The changes which are taking place in our society will give rise to a geriatric population which is healthier, more educated, more demanding, with greater economic resources, etc. This will lead to a situation where their demands for treatments will be towards preprosthetic surgery, implants and fixed prosthesis, while treatments with conventional complete dentures will decrease considerably.