Dentists' attitudes toward and knowledge of the elderly.

A representative sample of 332 Washington State dentists in private practice was surveyed regarding their practices, the nature and extent of their contact with elderly patients, and their attitudes toward the aged. Results show that the dentists sampled have generally inaccurate perceptions of facts on aging. More experienced dentists, and those who had greater numbers of self-paying patients, held fewer stereotypes. Dentists who rated their elderly patients as having good oral hygiene held positive stereotypes. Course work in geriatric dentistry did not discriminate between dentists with more or less incorrect perceptions. This paper also discusses implications for dental practice and training in geriatric dentistry.