Eur J Dent Educ. 2018;1–10. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/eje | 1 © 2018 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd 1 | INTRODUCTION Many societies have observed a steady increase in older adults living longer due to advancements in health and standard of living. Europe, being no exception, has one of the highest proportions of older cit- izens as a region. This proportion is predicted to rise even further in the coming decades. The United Nations is projecting that the European population aged 60 years or over will reach 35% in 2050, from the current 25%. 1 These substantial improvements in life ex- pectancy should be coupled with an improvement and maintenance of health and associated quality of life. Dentistry is also reflecting these developments with a larger number of older adults retaining more of their natural teeth and eliciting more interest in the ageing mouth to mitigate the ever-increasing prevalence of chronic oral dis- eases and health inequalities. 2-7 Malta’s ageing population will require adaptation from service providers to tackle emerging challenges. 8 The ageing population trends will mean that all the members of the dental team will be ex- posed to older patients. Most probably, a good percentage of current patients will eventually become housebound, consequently preclud- ing them from attending dental services due to several health re- strictions. Initially, the Faculty of Dental Surgery (DS) (University of Accepted: 3 May 2018 DOI: 10.1111/eje.12367 ORIGINAL ARTICLE Undergraduate students’ evaluation and reflections on a gerodontology programme N. Attard 1 | A. Schembri 1 | C. Caruana 1 | A-M. Agius 1 | M. L. Gainza-Cirauqui 2 1 Department of Oral Rehabilitation and Community Care, Faculty of Dental Surgery, Universirty of Malta, Msida, Malta 2 Department of Dental Surgery, Faculty of Dental Surgery, Universirty of Malta, Msida, Malta Correspondence Nikolai Attard, Department of Oral Rehabilitation and Community Care, Faculty of Dental Surgery, Universirty of Malta, Msida, Malta. Email: nikolai.attard@um.edu.mt Abstract Introduction: Many societies have observed a steady increase of many older adults living longer due to advancements in health and standard of living. The dental team requires specialised training in gerodontology to better prepare for the future needs of the elderly patients. It is the aim of this study to report the undergraduate stu- dents’ activities and perspectives on their work experience in a geriatric residence. Materials and Methods: An anonymous online questionnaire on the theoretical and practical aspects of training was sent to students in dentistry and dental hygiene (DH) undergraduate courses. Students were also invited to discuss their experiences. Data of clinical treatment performed by the students were collected. The number of clinical hours of student exposure to patients was measured. Results: Completion of the questionnaire was high (90%). Both DH and dentistry students have in excess of 100 hours/y of clinical practice. Overall students rate their experience as a positive one that enriches patients’ well-being. However they iden- tify barriers to oral health and experience challenges related to their clinical work and level of competence (Kruskal-Wallis Test P < .05). Conclusions: study participants were strongly motivated towards the management of frail older adults and cognisant of the barriers and constraints of achieving a rea- sonable level of oral health. Gerodontology programmes should be adaptable in order to create the appropriate environment and address socio-emotional challenges experienced by students. KEYWORDS contact hours, students’ clinical experience, undergraduate gerodontology modules