ORAL CHANGES RELATED TO USE OF ANTIDEPRESSIVES IN THE ELDERLY

Abstract

Brazil is simultaneously experiencing peculiar processes of demographic and epidemiological transition, which fully justifies the differentiated look at the elderly population and also the interest in the impact of chronic non-communicable diseases on the morbidity profile of the elderly, among which the various manifestations of depressive disorders. The article presents a literature review that aims to recognize the magnitude and importance of depressive phenomena and their connection with the levels of oral health of the population over 60 years of age, mainly determining which changes arise in the oral cavity as a result of the use of antidepressants. In due course, embracement is still addressed as an essential factor for the categorization of good quality care for the elderly, and the inestimable value of early diagnosis in depressive episodes is even discussed, since it saves unnecessary discomfort for the patient and their families. The article presents a narrative literature review carried out through the search of articles available on Scientific Electronic Library On-line (Scielo), Google Scholar and Pubmed online platforms. Articles in Portuguese and English were selected, with relevant content for the topic and that have been published in the last five years. The value of the present work is materialized in the connection and interrelationship of all these variables to the levels of oral health of the elderly, naturally affected by processes relevant to aging, emphasizing multidrug therapies and their adverse reactions, with emphasis on the relationship between use of antidepressants and xerostomia. It is hoped that this literature review will contribute to the technical and scientific training of professionals in Dentistry, who seek solid knowledge about the oral health of the elderly.