Removable and Fixed Fully Edentulous Treatment Options for the Aging Patient.

As the number of seniors in the United States continues to rise, edentulism remains a serious ailment affecting many elderly patients. Though many seniors are taking fuller dentitions into their later years due to a greater emphasis on oral health maintenance than in the past, this growing population still often requires creative edentulous treatment solutions from skilled clinicians. Fortunately, with the evolution of implant dentistry various possibilities are available to treat edentulous aging patients with removable and/or fixed options. This article will review aging as it relates to the use of dentures and discuss prosthetic restorative alternatives for senior patients. It also will examine the impact of caries, neurosensory disorders, facial esthetics, and chronologic aging on dental treatments.