Dental esthetics--instrument for recreating a new facial esthetic to the elderly patient.

AIMS The major objective of this paper consists in underlining the wide range of possibilities in assessing the elderly patient; it relies on clinical examination in order to exclusively improve the patient's physiognomic aspect. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this context it has been organized a study which included 64 elderly patients aged between 60 and 90 years of age (median age 75), which presented themselves at the Clinical Service of Dental Semiology and Gerontostomatology between 2011-2012; they requested the restoration of the functions affected by odontal coronary lesions, periodontal disorders or edentations more or less expanded, malocclusions, malrelations of the mandible to the skull and unsuccessful or deteriorated dental or prosthetic treatments. RESULTS The restoration of dental arches has been performed relying on common sense and power of discernment, respecting both facial features and expression by redimensioning the lower part of the face, repositioning the mandible and using gnatoprosthetic devices. CONCLUSIONS Solving the problems elderly patients confront themselves with and the success of the treatment has been possible only after a correct assessment of the involutive phenomena that influence the oral cavity, after understanding the local and general factors that predispose to oral disorders as well as the differences between various techniques and materials.