Introduction - A Caring Collaboration

This Special Supplement to The Journal of the American Dental Association is one element of a multifaceted, three-year campaign aimed at addressing the oral health needs of older adults.

Titled "OralLongevity," the campaign is made possible through a generous grant from GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare (GSKCH), which has partnered with the American Dental Association and the ADA Foundation to create educational resources and innovative programs targeting the special needs of an aging population.For a complete description of the full program, dating to its inception in 2004, visit the OralLongevity Web site at www.orallongevity.ada.org.

OralLongevity will launch at the 2007 Annual Session in San Francisco with distribution of this JADA supplement, an educational brochure for patients and a menu-driven DVD for dentists and their patients—all in a special display at the World Marketplace Exhibition. A four-day continuing education track titled "OralLongevity and Healthy Aging" will be available for those attending session. Also, aide range of content on OralLongevity will be presented on the Association's Web site, ADA.org, and in the pages of your ADA News.

In 2006, the U.S. Administration on Aging reported that one in every eight Americans was an older adult, a number that will rise rapidly as the baby boom generation enters retirement. The population of Americans older than 65 years is expected to double to about 71 million by 2030, and one in five Americans will be 65 years or older by 2050. What's more, the population of Americans older than 85 years is expected to increase from 4.6 million in 2002 to 9.6 million in 2030. And thanks to the advances of modern dentistry, regular preventive care, the use of fluoridated toothpaste and the benefits of community water fluoridation, many are keeping their teeth for a lifetime, spurring a lifelong need for oral health care.

A growing percentage of these adults are semidependent and living on fixed incomes. Many contend with chronic health conditions and have limited access to transportation.

This rising need within a vulnerable population pointed the way to a caring collaboration of the dental industry, organized dentistry and our entire profession. GSKCH is to be commended for embracing this challenge and for bringing its vision and support to your ADA and ADA Foundation.

We hope that all of our members also will welcome this challenge by using the resources of the OralLongevity campaign to help older people in their area receive or maintain the oral health care they need.

One of the shared goals of all humanity is to grow old with dignity. We as dentists have the knowledge and skills to help make that happen for the older adults in our communities. And now,thanks to the OralLongevity campaign, we also have the tools.