Oral Health and Care in the Elderly Population and Aging Society

Improvements in living quality have contributed to an increase in life expectancy and therefore an aging population. Societal aging can affect the prevalence of chronic diseases and the distribution of healthcare resources. Oral health problems, including dental caries and periodontal diseases, are prevalent in the elderly population worldwide. Both untreated dental caries and periodontal diseases will affect the whole dentition, leading to compromised masticatory function; poor chewing ability and discomfort in eating will affect the absorption of nutrients and cause long-term malnutrition. Meanwhile, missing teeth or edentulous will influence the appearance, self-esteem, interpersonal communication of elderly patients and quality of life. In addition, periodontitis is a risk factor for some systemic conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, upper respiratory infections, pneumonia etc. The high prevalence of oral health problems will cause significant disease burden to the health system. To address the oral health problems in the elderly population and aging society, dentists, dental researchers and dental public health sectors should understand the oral health situations of elderly people, assess their oral health care needs and develop effective oral health care strategies.

This Research Topic welcomes original research, reviews and case reports (with good-quality photos) related to oral health and care in the elderly population or in the aging society background, which can include but is not limited to oral health epidemiology, oral health assessment, promotion or management of the oral health diseases and conditions of elderly people, oral health care strategies and programs, and novel oral health care protocols for the aging population. Oral health care strategies can be considered by both individual-level and community-level.

This Research Topic will provide readers with up-to-date information on oral health and care in the elderly population and raise the awareness of clinical practitioners and dental researchers regarding the importance of elderly people’s oral health and care.

Keywords: Aging, Aging Society, Elderly, Oral Care, Oral Health Disease, Oral Health Care Strategies, Preventive Dentistry, Oral Epidemiology, Oral Health Promotion

Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.