Home Uncategorized Orthodontic treatment in old age: when is it recommended?

Orthodontic treatment in old age: when is it recommended?

by Wolfgang JOHANNES
Published: Last Updated on

Not just children, teenagers, and young adults: more and more often, the elderly and those in the third age also require orthodontic treatment to MC20 to improve the aesthetics and functionality of the stomatognathic system.

In this case, our orthodontist proceeds with a multidisciplinary therapeutic approach, which places the local and systemic health conditions of the elderly at the center of attention. Precisely in the elderly patient, unlike the kid, the remodeling processes take place more slowly.

It is also important that the adult, who is more likely to suffer from periodontitis, adopts correct rules of oral hygiene and nutrition. Only in the case of severe periodontal pathologies, orthodontic treatment in old age is contraindicated.

The advantages of orthodontic treatment in old age

Many elderly patients are willing to undergo orthodontic treatment to improve the aesthetics and functionality of the mouth and smile. This leads to an improvement in the social relationships of the person, an increasingly important aspect given that in recent years the population over 60 has increased.

During aging, the oral cavity also undergoes involutional changes, which vary in the presence or absence of dental elements.

The condition of partial and total edentulism leads to the reabsorption of the maxillary bones. which over time leads to the loss of the functional stimulus of chewing, also involving the basal bone. The appearance of the face of the elderly is characterized by sagging cheeks and loss of muscle tone, with dental-maxillary deterioration.

In addition to this, aging leads to the deterioration of the dental elements with wear of the enamel, which turns yellow, dehydration of the dentin, and a decrease in vascularity at the periodontal level.

Why ask for an orthodontic intervention in the third age

The elderly go to the MC20 orthodontist for very distinct reasons from those that lead the young person or the adult to request orthodontic treatment. In some cases, we want to improve their appearance, in others, we try to solve temporomandibular pains and dysfunctional and psychological problems.

There is no shortage of cases in which MC20 orthodontists intervene to restore the correct position of the teeth before a prosthetic intervention. The treatment plan includes orthognathic surgery with the teeth modeling more slowly than in the case of a child.

Compared to the young and the adult, the presence of periodontal pathologies requires greater caution, since there is not perfect dental-alveolar integrity and there is less bone support which determines the ease of displacement of the dental elements.

What orthodontic interventions to do for the elderly?

Just as in the case of the growing patient, all dental movements are also possible in the elderly (mesialization, distalization, vestibularization, lingualization, extrusion, intrusion, and rotation) with the use of light and steady forces.

MC20’s advice regarding orthodontic treatments in the elderly is to limit oneself to minor displacements, such as repositioning the abutment teeth in axis, correcting the cross-bites of individual teeth, and closing the small diastemas.

In planning the intervention, it is equally necessary to consider dysmetabolic pathologies, dyshormonosis, and osteoporosis. In MC20, we deal not only with the correction of malocclusion but also with the restoration of the integrity of the dental arches through orthodontic-prosthetic rehabilitation treatment.

Then we move on to the definitive prosthetic treatment, to be done at the end of the retention phase. The latter involves the use of temporary prostheses to establish occlusal relationships and allow the stabilization of the dental arches.

In conclusion, those who want to correct the position of their teeth for aesthetic or, as often happens, functional reasons, even in old age, find concrete support and skilled orthodontists in MC20. Contact us for a first visit and find the most suitable solution to restore the health and beauty of your smile.

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