Periodontal care.

Prevalence of periodontal disease increases with increasing age. Recent surveys show a decline in edentulism, resulting in an increase in the number of teeth at risk for moderate periodontal disease, with more severe disease restricted to a small portion of the population. Most evidence indicates that age associated increases in disease prevalence and severity is not caused by the process of aging, but is related to past disease history, social, and behavioral factors. Chronologic age is not a contradiction to any modality of periodontal treatment. Diagnosis and treatment of older patients may be modified by the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, and by concomitant use of multiple medications.