Geriatric oral health care in Taiwan: What do we need?

Elderly populations are rapidly increasing in many countries around the world. Dentists are increasingly facing patients with different kinds of systemic diseases and some dental diseases to which the elderly are particularly predisposed. In addition, some common dental problems in older people are extremely complicated and are not easy to treat. As we move into the 21st century, Taiwan is facing an aging population. To establish a geriatric oral healthcare system, well-trained dentists and dental teams are going to be in greater demand. Dentists should understand their leading role and assist other medical staff in consultation, technical support, and transfer services. Meanwhile, dentists should also play an important role in establishing systems of oral health care. Some policies and systems of geriatric oral health care in developed countries are worth learning about and emulating. (J Dent Sci, 2(2):59-64 , 2007)