Geriatric Dentistry and the Alzheimer Disease

Introduction: The world population is getting old, mainly in countries in development like Brazil. So, the number of pathologies, which appears in the elderly, will happen in a higher frequency. Among these diseases, we can point Alzheimer, an irreversible dementia, that has been related to age, cerebral vascular disease, stroke, immunological defects and to genetic factors (Down Syndrome). It is known that with the progression of dementia, patients present difficulties of oral hygiene caused by decrease of motor and cognitive functions of Alzheimer's bearers. These patients demand specific strategies for a dental treatment without bigger difficulties. Objective: the aim of this paper was to review the articles about the relationship of geriatric dentistry and Alzheimer disease focusing and the characteristics of the patients with this kind of dementia and the cares to them. For this purpose, a peer-reviewed literature was completed using Medline database for the period from 1972 to 2006, including alzheimer disease and dentistry, and BBO for the period from 1987 to 2004, with geriatric keyword. Conclusion: The available data indicate that individuals with Alzheimer disease have more oral health problems than individuals without dementia.