Developing pathways for oral care in elders: evidence-based interventions for dental caries prevention in dentate elders.
BACKGROUND
Dental caries is becoming an ever-growing challenge as the number of elders maintaining their teeth increases. There is a need for low-cost, effective preventive interventions to retain natural teeth for elders.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this article is to evaluate evidence based interventions for dentate elders, specifically the adjunct therapies of fluoride, chlorhexidine, xylitol, casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate, ozone, and herbal liquorice.


RESULTS
Fluoride interventions have demonstrated prevention and remineralization of dental caries in elders. Systematic reviews of the literature are unable to establish definitive conclusions regarding the effectiveness of other adjunct therapies in dental caries prevention.


CONCLUSIONS
Further research with elders requires improved study design with well designed multi-center trials. Considerations for new strategies for research of the effectiveness of therapies to reduce dental caries include the development and evaluation of combinations of therapeutic interventions and dental caries management by risk assessment.
University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Elisa M
EM
Ghezzi
D000368:Aged; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002327:Cariostatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019091:Critical Pathways; D016321:Dental Care for Aged; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D055094:Evidence-Based Dentistry; D006801:Humans; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000379:methods
D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local; D002327:Cariostatic Agents
ageing; dental caries; geriatric dentistry; prevention