Oral health status and treatment needs of an insured elderly population.

The purpose of this study was to describe the oral health status and treatment needs of an elderly group of religious sisters whose dental care expenses had been covered for most of their adult life. While the residents displayed high levels of treated dental disease on examination, evidence of a need for further treatment was considered to be a reflection of their decreasing ability to manage their personal home care and the reduction in professional services available to them. The results of this study reinforce the notion that the continuous provision of preventive and educational strategies coupled with accessible treatment services are essential, especially in an aging population.