Abstract

The ageing population represents a significant milestone in human progress. However, with increasing age comes a rise in chronic diseases, many of which have oral health implications. The worldwide increase in the geriatric population has reshaped healthcare systems, but the oral health care system is still lacking in most of the developing and underdeveloped countries. This is due to the dearth of trained dentists in this field. The late 1970s first acknowledged the need for geriatric dental education. It highlighted the importance of oral health in the geriatric population. Therefore, it is necessary to introduce geriatric dental education right from the graduate level so that the future dentists can deliver not only efficient oral health services to the geriatric patients without any apprehension or hesitation but also have empathy and a proactive mindset when addressing the needs of older adults. Training is necessary for dental students, as their perspective significantly impacts treatment success and patient satisfaction. This can be achieved by introducing new curricula and trained faculty to ensure that the students are confident and well-trained when they graduate from a dental college.

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