How severe is the threat of caries to old teeth?

Caries is a bacterial infection caused by a complex interaction of biologic and behavioral factors. It is believed that caries is a major threat to teeth in old age, yet little information is available on the incidence and progress of carious lesions in elderly teeth. All too often caries is diagnosed after a visual and tactile examination of tooth structure without thought for the other factors essential to the initiation and support of an active lesion. Prospective studies have been conducted recently in Vancouver to quantify associations between the incidence of caries and many of the behavioral, bacteriologic, and physiologic factors potentially influencing oral health in old age. The results indicate that improvements in hygiene may hold the most promise for controlling this infection in an elderly population.