Our Aging Population:

Our Nation’s population continues to age. In 1860, half the population was under age 20; in 1994, half were age 34 or older; by 2030, at least half could be 39 years or older. In July 1994, there were 33.2 million elderly (aged 65 or older), one-eighth of the total population. Among the elderly, 18.7 million were aged 65 to 74, 11.0 million were aged 75 to 84, and 3.5 million were 85 or older. Florida had by far the largest proportion elderly (18.6 percent) in 1993.

Poor health is not as prevalent as many assume, especially among the young old. Among non-institutionalized persons in 1992, three in four aged 65 to 74 consider their health to be good, very good, or excellent, as do about 2 in 3 aged 75 and over. The sheer size and inevitable aging of the Baby-Boom generation will continue to drive public policy debate. As average length of life continues to increase, issues regarding the quality of extended life (active life expectancy) are likely to assume greater importance.

Number of Persons 65 +: 1900 to 2030 (numbers in millions)

Mao Clinic: "Like gray hair and wrinkles, losing your teeth and getting dentures have long seemed an unavoidable part of growing older. But today, aging doesn't automatically mean you'll need dentures. Thanks to fluoride and preventive dental care, more and more older adults still have their natural teeth. In fact, those who do are rapidly beginning to outnumber denture-wearers. About 30 percent of adults over age 65 currently need dentures because they've lost all their teeth. That's expected to drop to about 10 percent early in the next century".