Oral Health Care in Geriatric Populations

As populations age worldwide, maintaining oral health in older adults has become critical to promoting overall well-being, preventing systemic complications and preserving quality of life. Geriatric patients experience a spectrum of challenges including tooth loss, periodontal disease, xerostomia and diminished manual dexterity, all of which increase vulnerability to infections, nutritional deficiencies and social isolation. Care pathways must integrate routine clinical assessments, preventive measures such as topical fluorides and salivary stimulants, and rehabilitative services including denture provision and repair. Barriers span individual factors—cognitive impairment or mobility limitations—to systemic issues such as inadequate training among non-dental healthcare professionals and fragmented policy support. Interprofessional collaboration, tailored education for carers and the adoption of innovative delivery models (for example, mobile dentistry or tele-dentistry) are emerging as core strategies. Embedding oral health within broader healthy-ageing frameworks and national health policies will be essential to close existing care gaps and to enhance both functional and psychosocial outcomes for older adults.

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Oral Health Care in Geriatric Populations publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in oral health care in geriatric populations across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Edentulism: the condition of being without natural teeth, often necessitating complete dentures.

Periodontal disease: a chronic inflammatory disorder affecting the gums and supporting structures of teeth, leading to tissue destruction and tooth loss.

Oral microbiome: the community of bacteria, viruses and fungi inhabiting the oral cavity, which influences both oral and systemic health.

Xerostomia: the subjective sensation of dry mouth, commonly arising from reduced salivary flow due to medications or systemic conditions.

Oral health‐related quality of life (OHRQoL): an individual’s self-perceived impact of oral health on daily activities, well-being and social interactions.

References

1. ‘Whose role is it anyway?’ Experiences of community nurses in the delivery and support of oral health care for older people living at home: a grounded theory study. BMC Nursing (2023).
2. Oral health and healthy ageing: a scoping review. BMC Geriatrics (2024).
3. An integrated oral health program for rural residential aged care facilities: a mixed methods comparative study. BMC Health Services Research (2018).