Prosthodontic considerations for the older patient.

The elderly have both the greatest level of need for prosthodontic services of any age group, and the greatest degree of complicating dental, medical, and behavioral factors. Issues arise in daily practice of whether or not to replace a missing tooth or teeth for a patient of advanced age and a wide variety of challenges-dental/oral and others-face the dentist who is considering replacing some or all of an older person's teeth. This article focuses on clinical approaches and techniques that have proven particularly important and useful for providing prosthodontic care to the older adult.