Dental management of the geriatric patient with major depression.

Abstract

Major depression is a psychiatric disorder in which mood, thought content, and behavioral patterns are impaired, often for an extended period of time. The condition is encountered among elderly persons admitted to the hospital and those residing in nursing homes. Major depression is predominantly biologic in origin and may arise from dysfunction of the limbic-hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. It is associated with personal neglect, including a disinterest in performing appropriate preventive oral hygiene techniques. The majority of antidepressant medications cause xerostomia and magnify the incidence of dental disease. Appropriate dental management of patients with the disorder necessitates the use of anti-caries agents containing fluoride, saliva substitutes, and special precautions when analgesics and local anesthetics are being prescribed or administered. Dental treatment helps to improve the patient's self-image and quality of life.