Japan has the eldest population in the world. In this social environment, medicine specialized in elderly patients, separate from conventional general medicine, is required. The goal of geriatric medicine is not simply to prolong patients’ life, but to maintain their health in the late stage of life and prevent onset of progressive disease associated with aging. This means maintenance of good quality of life, rather than living a long life on a bed, with dementia, or in poor health. At the beginning of the Showa Period, 11.1 young people supported one person aged 65 years and older. However, the number is gradually decreasing to 4 in 2013 and 1.5 in 2055. In order to mitigate this situation, it is very important that the elderly live long and healthy. In recent years, the relationship between oral cavity and systemic diseases has become an important topic, and it is essential to improve oral care for health of the elderly. So proactive participation of dental care professionals is extremely important, and you will be welcomed to study geriatric dentistry, or dentistry specialized in elderly patients.