Cohort differences among aging populations: a challenge for the dental profession.

The pattern of utilization of oral health services by older adults is changing as more older people maintain their natural teeth. Heterogenicity among persons aged 65 and older is probably greater than in any other period in the life cycle; however, all too often, all age groups over age 65 have been grouped together for program planning or data analysis. The socio-dental and historical influences on five specific age cohorts born between 1905 and 1945 are presented so that dentists may better understand the differences in attitudes and expectations of these individuals when they seek treatment.