Abstract

SANTIAGO, Eduardo; SIMOES, Ricardo Jorge Pires  and  PEREIRA, José António Lobo. Oral Health in Alzheimer's Disease. Arq Med [online]. 2008, vol.22, n.6, pp.189-193. ISSN 2183-2447.

As population grows older, old age associated conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) became more frequent. Along demential process, the patient shows progressive loss of skills to practice proper oral hygiene which is due to diminished motor and cognitive functions. An oral health care plan should be instituted by the dental health professional, with the cooperation of AD patient’s caregiver. The dentist should educate them to supervise personal and oral hygiene and ensure proper dental professional assistance from early to more advanced stages. Therefore the dentists have a very specific role in maintaining Alzheimer’s disease patient’s life quality. These and other aspects will be discussed in this article.

Keywords : Alzheimers disease; oral health; dentistry.

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