07 December 2022

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Caries in old age: a worldwide problem

Massimo Gagliani

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The new source of work – for future dentists – will be the elderly population, with all the complications involved. The needs of the aging population are increasingly evident. We are informed by a bibliographic study carried out by a group of epidemiology researchers, among which two Italians stand out: Guglielmo Campus and Andrea Roccuzzo.

By examining a series of epidemiological findings from all over the globe, the authors conclude the following: the disparities in results - for the pathologies examined worldwide - are enormous. 

The data was intuitive. In fact, both edentulism and caries in the adult patient represent an element that is anything but negligible.

Approximately 28% of the European population over age 45 are edentulous, and more than 17% of citizens in the land of the starry circle on blue bottom have caries problems. In the U.S., the percentage is 11%, the lowest when compared to other parts of the Earth. The rest of the world is worse off, which is discomforting, but it’s also good to be aware.

With this information in mind, we are perfectly aware of the needs in terms of oral health that any European country will have to face. It will be necessary to set new parameters for the treatment criteria, the therapeutic choices and the methods of delivery. We must also be mindful about affordable prices for an increasingly older population less and less willing, due to objective difficulties, to spend money on dental care.

To learn more about the research: Global prevalence of edentulism and dental caries in middle-aged and elderly persons: A systematic review and meta-analysis

R Borg-Bartolo, A Roccuzzo, P Molinero-Mourelle, M Schimmel, K Gambetta-Tessini , A Chaurasia, R B Koca-Ünsal, C Tennert , R Giacaman and G Campus. “Global prevalence of edentulism and dental caries in middle-aged and elderly persons: A systematic review and meta-analysis.” Journal of Dentistry. 2022 Dec; 127:104335. doi: 10.1016/j.jdent.2022.104335. Epub 2022 Oct 17.