[Medically compromised patients in the dental office: demographics and progress in health care]

Abstract

Due to changing demographics in our society, there are an increasing number of patients with risk factors presenting for dental care. Unfortunately valid screening instruments to identify these patients are lacking. Especially in elderly patients, there is often an association between the high number of prescribed medications and oral symptoms. Using supportive therapy in oncology (e.g., radio(chemo)therapy) as an example, the role of modern dentistry and its interaction with general medicine is illustrated. Modern substances, e.g., antiangiogenetics, with still unknown side effects represent challenging new developments in the field of oral medicine. Even with some examples of positive representation of patients with risk factors in the health systems, e.g., § 28 SGB V, it is clear that the pressure on the costs in the health systems leads to an undertreatment of patients with risk factors. Only by adapting dental and postgraduate training with respect to these aspects, together with better financial reimbursement of the additional efforts, will this trend be overcome.