Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of dentists toward geriatric health and nutrition: A pan-India cross-sectional questionnaire-based study.

Background: India's rapidly growing geriatric population faces significant oral health and nutritional challenges. Although prosthodontic care can improve dietary intake, dental practitioners' awareness and integration of geriatric nutrition into routine practice remain unclear. Limited data exist on how Indian dentists address these needs in clinical and educational settings. Objective: This study evaluated the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of dental practitioners across India regarding geriatric health and nutrition and identified gaps to inform education, policy, and clinical interventions. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 462 dental practitioners providing prosthodontic care across 21 states. A validated 28-item questionnaire, including three open-ended questions, assessed KAP. Data were analyzed using descriptives, one-way ANOVA, and Post Hoc Bonferroni tests (p ≤ 0.05). Results: Respondents were aware of nutritional assessment methods (72.1 %) and recognized the importance of dietary counselling (97.8 %). Attitudes were highly positive, with 98.1 % supporting inclusion of geriatric nutrition in curriculum. However, only 52 % routinely assessed nutrition, and 63 % provided diet counselling. Prosthodontists had significantly higher knowledge (77.87 %) and practice scores (65.64 %), while institutional practitioners showed the most positive attitudes (74.12 %). Notably, 70 % reported insufficient training during dental education. Conclusion: This first pan-India study highlights a substantial gap between knowledge and practice in geriatric nutrition. Despite positive attitudes, routine implementation is limited. Structured curriculum reforms, continuing education, and chairside intervention models are urgently needed to enhance oral and systemic health outcomes in the elderly. Novelty: This nationwide assessment uniquely identifies educational and practice gaps, offering evidence to guide policy and clinical interventions to improve geriatric dental care in India.