ASSESSMENT OF THE DYSHOMEOSTASIS OF THE STOMATOGNATHIC SYSTEM IN THE ELDERLY

Old age (over 65) is considered to be a fragile stage, a stage of involution and regression and very often raises multiple psychological and clinical problems. Just like the other stages of life, old age is characterized by certain psychological features, a certain psychical state that depends of the nervous central system's state and of past experiences of life as well. The effects of aging on the stomatognat system can be identified at all the system's elements; it is sometimes difficult to differentiate them from the physiological or pathological phenomena and their mechanisms. After analyzing the dishomeostasis of the stomatognat system from a gerontologic perspective it resulted that the stomatologic geroindex established in relation to the dental chronology is dominated by the prevalence of mono or bi maxillary total edentation to which stomatologic treatment is associated. In order to be a success, from a therapeutic, functional and aesthetic point of view, specific techniques must be used on elderly patients. These techniques have to be integrated into the aging process and must be related to the elderly patient's energy to adjust to changes, an energy that decreases with the passing of time.