Geriatric Dentistry: Treatment Planning and Management-Geriatric Dentistry: Treatment Planning and Management

Video Transcription

Video Summary

Dr. Tomas Ballesteros presents a lecture on geriatric dentistry, focusing on how aging affects oral health and treatment planning. He emphasizes that older patients are often medically complex, may have reduced mobility, cognitive decline, xerostomia, periodontal breakdown, root caries, and challenges with consent and positioning. His central theme is “serviceable dentistry”: choosing treatments that are functional, practical, minimally invasive, and appropriate to the patient’s overall health, rather than automatically pursuing advanced restorative options.<br /><br />He reviews restorative materials commonly used in special care settings, including amalgam, composite, glass ionomer, atraumatic restorative treatment (ART), and silver diamine fluoride. He explains when each is useful, such as using amalgam for durable posterior restorations and glass ionomers for fluoride release and conservative repairs. He also highlights when not to treat, noting that in very frail patients, observation may be the best option if the teeth are asymptomatic and not infected.<br /><br />Throughout the talk, he stresses communication, informed consent, and balancing patient and family expectations. The lecture closes with a personal tribute to his father and a reflection on caring for geriatric patients with compassion and simplicity.

Asset Caption

Geriatric Dentistry: Treatment Planning and Management Tomas J. Ballesteros MS, DMD, FAGD Subject: 750—Special Care Dentistry Credits: 1.0 Audience: Dentists Fee: $125 (non-members); $75 (members); $37.50 (students) Description This webinar will discuss the different restorative options for the general dentist when treating the complex geriatric population. Learning Objectives Be familiar with the aging process and how to assess a geriatric patient. Consider the what is serviceable dentistry in the geriatric population. Understand the different materials that can be used instead of fixed prosthetics in the geriatric population Speaker Bio Dr. Tomas Ballesteros graduated from the University of Florida with bachelor’s and masters degrees in Microbiology and Food Science and Human Nutrition. After completing his master’s degree, Dr. Ballesteros graduated from Tufts University School of dental medicine in 2007. Dr. Ballesteros has been working as an assistant professor for the Special Care Center at Rutgers University School of Dental Medicine for 9 years where he has treated the special care community performing chair side treatment, OR and hospital treatment, taught students and residents, providing lectures and serving on the admissions committee. Dr. Ballesteros has served on the New Jersey Academy of General Dentistry for ten years on the executive board serving as president and chair of CE in Advancing Into Mastership. He has also served on the Academy of General Dentistry PACE council for three years. He is a Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry and currently working on his mastership.

Keywords

geriatric dentistry

oral health aging

serviceable dentistry

minimally invasive treatment

special care dentistry

restorative materials

informed consent

silver diamine fluoride