Population ageing and demographic transitions have an important impact on health and health care services. More older people will face more morbidity and disabilities and consequently will need more health care services. Those older people, who are not able to function independently, are often supported by domiciliary care services or institutionalised.

Advances in oral health care during the last decades have resulted in an increased number of adults who retain their natural teeth until late life. In addition, a still increasing number of dentate older people have tooth wear, oral implants, and sophisticated tooth- and implant-supported prostheses. The complexity of oral health status, systemic diseases, and the multiple use of medications make older people more vulnerable to oral problems than younger age groups, and even more if they are cognitively impaired. Weakened oral health due to neglect of self-care and/or professional care is already found in older people when they are still community dwelling. Therefore, at the moment of admission to a care home, many older people are already in urgent need of oral health care. If their needs are not met, their oral health status will progressively deteriorate during their residency because of increasing care dependency and lack of adequate oral health care, being a threat for their general health.

Consequently, poor oral health is a potential new geriatric giant in older people, which deserves the attention of national and international politicians, policymakers, scientists, and health care providers. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• The development and validation of an oral health index useful in geriatric patients, including different aspects of oral health
• The impact of oral health on the quality of life in geriatric patients
• Mutual relationship between oral health and general health
• Organisational and economic aspects of oral health care for frail elderly patients
• Dementia and oral health
• The effectiveness of cleaning agents as antifungal means on acrylic denture base resin
• Xerostomia/hyposalivation in older people
• Educational aspects in gerodontology
• Nutritional aspects in geriatric patients and their relation with oral health
• Frailty and poor oral health

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