title: Prosthodontic care for elderly patients.
abstract: For older patients, clinicians should consider maintaining teeth and using functionally-orientated treatment strategies as an alternative to removable prostheses. When the remaining dentition has a poor prognosis, key teeth should be preserved as overdenture abutments and a gradual transition to edentulousness planned. Where complete dentures are provided, these can be retained using dental implants to overcome many of the problems associated with conventional replacement dentures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The elderly population of today is better informed and more demanding of oral healthcare providers than previous generations. Clinicians should be aware of all the prosthodontic treatment options available for older patients.
authors: University College Cork, Ireland.
authors: P Finbarr
authors: PF
authors: Allen
authors: Gerald
authors: G
authors: McKenna
authors: Nico
authors: N
authors: Creugers
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016321:Dental Care for Aged / Q000379:methods; D019094:Dental Prosthesis, Implant-Supported; D003834:Denture Precision Attachment; D003824:Denture, Complete; D003828:Denture, Overlay; D003829:Denture, Partial; D006801:Humans