**7. Oral health and healthy aging**

As mentioned by the WHO, healthy aging is described as "the process of fostering and maintaining the functional capacity that enables well-being in old age. Functional capacity consists of having the attributes that allow all people to be and do what is important to them" [62]. Oral health is an important element of healthy aging as the mouth influences the whole body through the course of life. A healthy mouth contributes to good nutrition, promotes a safer swallowing and prevents infections [63].

Poor oral health conditions could be inescapable in the aging process, but through prevention, patient care and education, these objectives can be achieved. Therefore, professional clinicians and researchers should work together to develop behavioral interventions for the promotion of dental health in family, community and health care settings [64].

A growing body of literature has analyzed that keeping a healthy natural dentition in old age has many benefits including the psychosocial, functional and structural point of view. Knowing this, the goals of mouth healthcare should be targeted to treat and prevent oral infection, promote oral health related to quality of life and give the resources to restore oral health function where necessary and guarantee an acceptable dental appearance [9].

### **8. Conclusions**

Among the great challenges that humanity is facing, there is the aging population. Promoting healthy aging is a task of the whole society. Oral health is part of general health, and participates in a relevant way in the quality of life. Proper oral health promotion activities are essential to protect the oral health of the population.

Understanding the pathways through which social determinants and biological risk factors interact over the life course and shape oral health inequalities can help achieve healthy aging.

Oral health care for older people should begin with interprofessional education, and the exchange between different health care providers for older people should be expanded. The older person, and their family, should be included. Knowing the risks involved in oral diseases allows us to prevent them.
