Geriatric Dentistry in the 21st Century: Environment and Opportunity.

The aging of the baby boomers in the 21st century is creating unprecedented numbers of vulnerable older adults. The increase in people keeping their teeth and their increasingly complex conditions all point to more people with more complex needs. Although these demographic shifts are providing unparalleled challenges for our health care system, they also bring new opportunities to develop and implement innovative systems for reaching and maintaining the oral health of older Americans.