Description
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According to Burgess J, Meyers AD. as of November 1, 2011 the world's population is estimated to be 7 billion. Within this mass of humanity is a substantial number of people that are elderly; the graying of the world's population is predicted to produce millions of individuals with systemic medical conditions that can affect oral health and dental treatment. The dental management of these medically compromised patients can be problematic in terms of oral complications, dental therapy, and emergency care. The first step in managing the patient with medical problems is acquiring a thorough health history; the second step is for the clinician to fully understand the significance of the disease that may be endorsed by the patient. Each identified condition can affect dental care in a unique manner. For example, medication prescribed for a medical condition might produce a problem during the administration of a local anesthetic, or it could interact with pain medication prescribed post intervention.
