The ageing of populations worldwide is a phenomenon that has led to transformations in health care. The need for geriatric dental education was realized in the late 1970s. Efficient treatment requires correct attitude on the part of the dental students towards the geriatric population and their perception of the treatment of geriatric patients influences patient satisfaction and treatment success. Materials andMethods:- A need assessment survey was planned on 350 dental students including both undergraduate students and interns in dental colleges of central India. The survey was done through an online questionnaire and the results were calculated to find out the attitude of dental students towards the geriatric population. Geriatric Attitude Scale questionnaire for measuring attitudes toward older patients given by the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) was used in the study to assess the perception and knowledge. Results: - The mean GAS score in the present study was found to be 3.48 with a mean SD of 0.95. It was found that the dental students in the central India region have a neutral to a positive attitude about the geriatric population. Conclusion: - The study concluded that a neutral to positive attitude exists in dental students towards the geriatric population and emphasizes on the fact that geriatric dental education needs to be imparted to the dental students with more impetus to improve geriatric oral healthcare and to bring about a positive change in the quality of life of the elderly population.

Keyword: Geriatric Patients; Geriatric Attitudinal Scale; Dental Students.