Demonstrating successful aging using the International Collaborative Studyfor Oral Health Outcomes

As the lifespan increases and people are faced with 15 to 20 years of "old age," we ask what one considers successful aging with respect to oral healt h. We propose a comprehensive combination of outcome variables, maintenance of teeth, manageable periodontal condition, positive perceived oral health , satisfaction with their access to and receipt of dental services, and min imal functional problems, that together comprise a definition of successful aging. The International Collaborative Study for Oral Health Outcomes prov ides a data set for exploring the oral health of a diverse sample of older adults in US and international sites using the modified Andersen Behavioral Model. The percent of adults who report no natural teeth ranged from 16 pe rcent in San Antonio to 59 percent in New Zealand. Seventy percent or more of the adults from each site rated their oral health as good/fair or better except in Poland. The current cohort of older adults is faring better on s ome indicators than others; nevertheless, ethnic minorities and poorer coun tries still demonstrate inequities. Dentistry must attempt to educate indiv iduals early in their lifespan that a combination of personal oral health p ractices and current dental techniques offers the potential for successful oral health throughout one's lifetime.