Geriatric Dentistry

Dr. Vaghari has trained at the Brooklyn Veteran’s Hospital in New York which included daily work with geriatric patients that had multiple baseline health conditions. This training conditioned him to understand the importance of taking into consideration all the possible health interactions before making any recommendations on treatment. This understanding is critical to his approach towards geriatric dentistry. He has also treated home bound geriatric patients with limited access to dentistry for the last several years. This unique experience has helped Dr. Vaghari develop a special level of compassion that only someone with that level of training can provide.

The typical aging patient’s baseline health state can be complicated by comorbid conditions and physiologic changes associated with aging. Older adults may regularly use several prescription and/or over-the-counter medications, making them more vulnerable to medication errors or adverse drug reactions. Potential physical, sensory, and cognitive impairments associated with aging may make home oral health care and patient education challenging.

Dental conditions associated with aging include specific changes to an individual’s oral hygiene, dry mouth (xerostomia), root and coronal caries, and periodontitis. Patients may show increased sensitivity to drugs used in dentistry, including local anesthetics and analgesics.