Oral Status and Care Needs of People Aged 90 and Over

In 2011, according to the French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Research, people aged 85 and over accounted for about 3% of the total population. This proportion will increase sharply due to longer life expectancy on the baby boom generation and is expected to reach 7.5% of the total population in 2050. This very old population has specific health, related to the presence of co-morbidities and co-medications, but also to a frequent state of dependence. These general health problems and their treatment can create or accentuate oral problems or complicate their management. Thus, very old people are more likely to have some oral diseases although there is no epidemiological data in France. Conversely, oral problems can have repercussions in terms of quality of life, social relations and nutrition, and are factors of risk or aggravating actual or potential systemic disorders. This very elderly population is therefore likely to present new challenges of dental care that it is important to document.