Odontología · 2025
Características craneofaciales del adulto mayor
Background: Literature on craniofacial characteristics of elders has gained relevance in areas like medicine, dentistry and forensics due to longer life expectancy, therefore this review presents the changes in bones, soft tissue, perioral mounds and dental structures which impact chewing, facial aesthetic and emotional health, in order to develop more effective geriatric dental treatments. Materials and methods: Literature review in Google Scholar, Pubmed, Scopus, Science Direct and Embase of articles from the last ten years in English and Spanish. Key words used were: craniofacial changes in elders, osseous reabsorption, elder, ageing and quality of life. The inclusion criteria were studies of osseous changes in elders, of soft tissues and functional from which 24 were selected. Results: Studies revealed that craniofacial ageing is an inevitable, progressive, biological and aesthetic process of the maxilla, mandible, facial fat and elasticity. Significant differences were found between sexes where females have greater reabsorption after menopause and men have it more gradually in the soft tissues. Ethnic differences affect facial morphology and bone density which influence treatment plans. Conclusions: craniofacial ageing is a complex process generated by biological, hormonal and environmental factors, which when known allow for a better treatment of geriatric patients.