Drug Abuse Among the Elderly: Implications for Dental Practice.

Current demographic data demonstrate an aging North American population, and projections suggest that the percentage of the elderly will increase. Substance abuse among seniors is a common problem, though it is often unidentified and frequently undiagnosed. The most predominant drugs abused by the geriatric individual are alcohol; analgesics, including opioids; central nervous system depressants; and illicit drugs. This article will discuss reasons for drug abuse among the elderly, warning signs associated with substance abuse, and the implications of this problem to the oral cavity and the dental practice.