Aging and Oral Health
As we get older, the maintenance of our oral health becomes a major factor in determining the quality of our lives. More than half of people aged fifty-five and above have periodontal disease. As we age, risk factors such as systemic disease, alterations in the immune status, medications, diminished salivary flow, functional impairments, poor home care, and lack of professional maintenance care all contribute to the development, recurrence, and severity of a patient's periodontal disease.