33
Volume3 Issue2
|
S
upporting
Y
our
P
ractice
The demographic shift to a more elderly population,
a trend observed in Canada and around the world,
means that dentists and other health care providers are
increasingly addressing the health care concerns of senior
citizens.
CDAEssentials
spokewithDr. AvivOuanounou,
assistant professor in the department of pharmacology
in the University of Toronto faculty of dentistry, about
the special considerations he takes with his elderly
patients in his Toronto practice. Dr. Ouanounou also
recently co-authored a JCDA.ca article with Dr. Daniel
Haas on pharmacotherapy for the elderly dental patient
.
What is the significanceof agrowingelderly
population to thedentalprofession?
Specifically for us asdentists, oral anddental health in theelderly is
important becauseof 3 reasons: (1) Theeffectsof oral diseaseare
cumulative, soproblemsworsenandgrowmorecomplexover time.
For example, a small root caries canadvanceandpropagate to thepulp,
develop intoanendodontic issue, and result ina toothextraction, (2)Oral
diseasehas an impact onoverall health. For example,we know there is a
strong linkbetweenperiodontal diseaseandcardiovascular disease, and
(3)Oral problemshavean impact onqualityof life for our elderlypatients.
Without teeth, our patients can’t eat, communicateproperly, or feel
confident about their appearance.
Shouldadentistadjustprescribingpractices foran
elderlypatient?
Yes, pharmacokinetics—theway thedrug isdistributed in thebodyand
metabolizedby the liver—are sodifferent in theelderly thatweoften
have to reducedosages to reduce the riskof adverse reactions. Generally,
older adults experience increasedpotencybecause thedrug increases
its concentration inplasma, andbecause thedrug’sdurationof action
increases.
AvivOuanounou
DDS
Dr.Ouanounou is
assistant professor in
the department of
pharmacology in the
University ofToronto
faculty of dentistry.
This interviewhasbeencondensedandedited.
Theviewsexpressedarethoseoftheauthorand
donotnecessarilyreflecttheopinionsorofficial
policiesoftheCanadianDentalAssociation.
