According to TUIK data, it is estimated that the elderly (65 years and older) individuals, who made up only 5.6% of the population of Turkey at the beginning of the 2000s, will constitute 10.2% of the population by 2023. Stating that the number of teeth in the person's mouth does not always show the teeth that are suitable for chewing, Assoc. Prof. Fatima Betül Baştürk, Faculty Member of the Department of Endodontics at Istanbul Gelisim University (IGU), said, "With the increase in tooth loss with age and the decrease in the teeth in closing, about 44% of individuals over the age of 85 have chewing disorders.”
“EXISTING TEETH SHOULD BE KEPT IN MOUTH”
Stating that as a result of decreased function in individuals with increased tooth deficiency, unhappiness develops in patients and the quality of life values related to oral health decreases, Fatima Betül Baştürk said, “Old age is not the period for radical changes that will adversely affect chewing. For this reason, the existing teeth should be tried to be kept in the mouth by evaluating the physical (movement restriction, paralysis) and physiological (such as high blood pressure, pacemaker) conditions in the patients.
Fatima Betül Baştürk stated that the life expectancy of the new generation elderly patients, who have a higher education level, are more conscious about their health and are more economically independent, have increased, like individuals in other age groups, and said, “Rather than asking dentists for tooth extraction as a form of treatment, it prioritizes treatment options aimed at preserving existing natural teeth.”
