Geriatric dentistry in the predoctoral curriculum.

The elderly component of the general population has been increasing in the past decades and will continue to increase well into the future. This group of people presents to the dentist with a unique set of characteristics, both dental and physical. To treat the elderly more competently and to provide clinical training to undergraduates simultaneously, a geriatric dental program was initiated in 1976 at the University of Illinois College of Dentistry. The program's current status and operation are described.