title: Physiology of aging of older adults: systemic and oral health considerations.
abstract: This article reviews the concepts of physiologic reserve, the principles of the normative aging process as exemplified by the cardiovascular, neurologic, and musculoskeletal systems. How these principles apply to oral health, and age-related changes in the oral cavity itself, is reviewed and suggests how they may affect disease management by oral health care providers. It does not focus on diseases related to aging, but rather aims to explore the normal physiologic changes associated with aging dentition and systemic changes related to age, thus enabling clinicians to obtain a better understanding of the presentation of older adults and how it may change their approach to diagnosis and treatment.
authors.affiliation: Geriatric Medical Fellowship Program, Division of Gerontology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 110 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Electronic address: aabrams@bidmc.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Alan P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Abrams
authors.affiliation: Fellowship in Geriatric Dentistry, Department of Oral Health Policy and Epidemiology, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, 188 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Lisa A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Thompson
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000502:physiology; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D006262:Health; D006801:Humans; D009909:Oral Health; D013284:Stomatognathic System / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Age-dependent changes; Aging adults; Normal aging; Oral health; Physiology; Systemic