475 inhabitants of seven rest and nursing homes in the German state of Hessen (average age 81 years) have been examined with respect to their dental condition, the need for dental treatment, as well as their habitual oral hygiene. The average dental status was poor. Most of the senior probands did not have natural teeth, the majority of the dentates suffered from caries and periodontal disease. Few of the inhabitants had fixed partials; the removable dentures--unless missing--showed many functional damages and had evident flaws. Concerning the neatness of the prosthesis' surfaces there were no major differences between those dentures cleaned by the probands themselves and those dentures cleaned by the home's staff.