[Bucco-dental health in the elderly]

Abstract

Whether they live at home or in institutions, the elderly generally have a poor bucco-dental health. The proportion of totally toothless patients is almost always higher than 50% and, among the others, the average number of remaining teeth is no more than ten. In the aged, this condition has several consequences on the quality of life, nutrition, cardiovascular diseases and pneumopathies. Maesures should be taken to improve this appaling state of affairs.