[Seniors and orthodontics: from denial to a reasonable choice].

When patients older than 60 decide to undergo orthodontic treatment, their motivation is not merely for esthetic purposes; it is also intended to preserve their biological capital. Their treatment is often complicated. The orthodontist has to take into account any particularities related to their past dental or even orthodontic history. Their treatment are freed, sometimes due to necessary compromises, from constraints that are determined by the occlusion, the periodontium or by prosthetic devices which are sometimes implant borne. For some patients, the original shape of their teeth that make up their smile are an integral part of their personality. By preserving the integrity of these teeth with an orthodontic treatment they avoid the sudden and jarring transformation of their smile and maintain their identity. Therapeutic choices that combine orthodontics and prosthetics and sometimes surgery can preserve the senescence of a face.