[Oral health status and dental care of the elderly population].

Abstract

There is a growing interest in the oral health status of older persons 65+ years as the size of this population increases and the percentage of edentulous persons decreases as a result of the prevention in younger ages. The provision of dental care in the elderly patient is basically the same as the care provided to other segments of the population. Yet there are problems related to their mental and physical health which should be taken into account. In this paper some information was given about the dental caries, periodontal diseases, oral mucosa diseases and tooth loss in the elderly population as well as about the dental treatment and prevention of dental services and the factors that affect it are referred. Further, some recommendations for the improvement of oral health of the elderly in Greece were done.