The amount of patients who suffer with dementia is set to rise with an ageing population. As well as living longer, patients will be retaining their natural teeth into their later life and will be less reliant on dentures. From both the current evidence available in the literature, and anecdotally from clinicians experienced in treating patients with dementia, it can be concluded that on balance, patients with dementia appear to be at a greater risk from dental caries (dental decay). However,

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... re research in this area would help produce a firmer evidence base to support this conclusion and should be encouraged. To improve clinical outcomes for patients with dementia, it is important for clinicians to ensure that patients have access to high quality preventive care which should include dietary advice and fluoride supplementation where appropriate to help mitigate this increased risk.