Treatment planning considerations in the older adult with periodontal disease.

Periodontal health in the elderly is influenced by numerous factors, including systemic conditions, patient compliance, age-associated changes, and restorative procedures. The numerous comorbidities seen in the elderly necessitate individualized approaches for treatment planning. In this paper, we review how age, comorbidities, oral hygiene, and restorative dental procedures collectively influence the treatment and management of the periodontium in the elderly. The elderly population is predicted to double in 30 years, which will have an economic impact the dental profession needs to plan for. Preventative and noninvasive treatment, supportive periodontal therapy, and patient-specific maintenance plans are imperative to maintaining oral health in the older population. Multiple coexisting changes, including xerostomia, altered wound healing, altered bone physiology, altered microbiome, and diminished plaque control, can add complexity to periodontal management. Considerations of the patient's general health, the selected periodontal treatment plan, and the selected completed restorative procedures need to be considered. The influence of caries, fixed prosthodontics, partial dentures, shortened dental arch, and implant therapy can have unintended impacts on periodontal health in the elderly. Adverse periodontal outcomes in the elderly can be minimized by carefully assessing the patient's medical history, impact of medications, functional needs, properly finishing and contouring restorations to avoid plaque accumulation, and designing restorations to allow access for hygiene. Partial dentures can be a source of plaque accumulation leading to periodontal disease, caries, and recession around abutment teeth. A shortened dental arch should be considered as a functional and cost-effective alternative to partial dentures. With dental implants, the patient's tissue phenotype, keratinized tissue quantity, risk of peri-implantitis, and patient access for maintaining adequate oral hygiene are all important to consider. Implant risk-assessment tools show promise by providing a systematic approach for early diagnosis to avoid future complications.

Advanced platelet-rich fibrin and freeze-dried bone allograft for ridge preservation: A randomized controlled clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Advanced platelet-rich fibrin (A-PRF) is an autogenous blood product with applications in dento-alveolar surgery. However, there is minimal information regarding its optimal clinical application or efficacy. The aim of this multi-arm parallel randomized controlled clinical trial was to evaluate the efficacy of A-PRF alone or with freeze-dried bone allograft (FDBA) in improving vital bone formation and alveolar dimensional stability during ridge preservation. METHODS: Forty patients requiring extraction of non-molar teeth and replacement with dental implants were randomized into one of four ridge preservation approaches: A-PRF, A-PRF+FDBA, FDBA, or blood clot. A-PRF was prepared at 1,300 rpm for 8 minutes. Non-traumatic extractions and ridge preservation was performed. After an average of 15 weeks healing, bone core samples were harvested at the time of implant placement for micro-CT and histomorphometric analysis. Ridge dimensions were measured immediately after extraction and before implant placement. RESULTS: Significantly greater loss of ridge height was noted in the blood clot group (3.8 ± 2.0 mm) compared to A-PRF (1.8 ± 2.1 mm) and A-PRF+FDBA (1.0 ± 2.3 mm) groups (P < 0.05). No significant differences in ridge width reduction were noted between groups. Significantly more vital bone was present in the A-PRF group (46% ± 18%) compared to the FDBA group (29% ± 14%) (P < 0.05). Bone mineral density was significantly greater in the FDBA group (551 ± 58 mg/cm3 ) compared to blood clot (487 ± 64 mg/cm3 ) (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates A-PRF alone or augmented with FDBA is a suitable biomaterial for ridge preservation. This study represents the first randomized controlled clinical trial comparing A-PRF with and without FDBA to FDBA alone for ridge preservation.