Data on the oral health of the elderly depict a worrying situation, with an elevated prevalence of caries and moderate periodontal disease, frequent edentulism, and numerous cases of dry mouth and oral cancer. There is wide evidence that periodontitis is a risk factor for certain systemic diseases, and impaired oral health has been associated with mastication and nutritional problems, especially among the elderly, with highly negative effects on their quality of life. In this nonsystematic review, the authors discuss the importance of evaluating the oral health of the geriatric population in a comprehensive manner, beyond simple clinical assessments.

Oral cancer is a growing problem, accounting for 377,713 worldwide new cases per year, and 177,757 deaths annually and representing a 5-year mortality rate close to 50%, which is a considerable mortality that has not decreased substantially in the last 40 years. The main cause of this high mortality is related to the diagnosis of a high percentage of oral cancers in advanced stages (stages III and IV) in which treatment is complex, mutilating or disabling, and ineffective. The essential cause of a cancer diagnosis at a late stage is the delay in diagnosis, therefore, the achievement of the objective of improving the prognosis of oral cancer involves reducing the delay in its diagnosis. The reasons for the delay in the diagnosis of oral cancer are complex and involve several actors and circumstances—patients, health care providers, and health services. In this paper, we present the results of a scoping review of systematic reviews on the diagnostic delay in oral cancer with the aim to better understand, based on the evidence, and discuss in depth, the reasons for this fact, and to identify evidence gaps and formulate strategies for improvement.