Oral health changes in the elderly. Their relationship to nutrition.

Poor oral health is not a result of normal aging, but rather reflects systemic disease, use of medications, inadequate nutrition, or lack of preventive dental care. The primary care physician usually sees elderly patients much more often than does the dentist and thus has an important role in maintenance of good oral health status. He or she thus should be familiar with normal orofacial anatomy and should routinely include a complete oral examination in the general physical examination. A patient with poor oral health should be referred to a dentist for necessary treatment and preventive care.