Background Descriptions of the older population's dentition status are usually limited to indicators such as the edentulous proportion, the mean number of restored and missing teeth, and the proportion with a functional dentition, with very few reports describing in detail the nature of the residual dentition. Objectives This study described the residual dentition among older New Zealanders living in residential aged care facilities. Material and Methods Using national data from the Older People's Oral Health Survey, we determined the residual dentition arrangement and Kennedy classification for each dental arch. Individuals were categorised according to their maxillary‐mandibular dental configuration. Data were weighted to make the estimates generalisable to the source population. Results Among the dentate 45% of the 987 clinically examined participants, the most prevalent configuration was maxillary tooth‐bounded saddles against a partially dentate lower (24.7%; 95% CI: 20.4, 29.7). More younger participants generally had less tooth loss experience and had higher prevalence of Kennedy Classes II, III and IV. There were few sex differences, although more females had a fully dentate arch. Marked ethnic differences were observed: Māori were up to eight times as likely to have only mandibular anterior teeth remaining. Upper dentures were worn more than their lower counterpart. Age, sex and ethnic characteristics were associated with particular residual teeth configurations. Conclusions Having various degrees of tooth loss was the norm, with the upper tooth‐bounded saddles against any partially dentate lower combination most common, and limited to females. An edentulous maxilla opposed by some standing teeth was observed in over one‐quarter of the population, and most common among Māori and those who were older. Maxillary prostheses were much more common than mandibular ones. Caring for dentate older people in aged residential care is likely to be complicated by the wide range of dentition configurations.

New Zealand (NZ), like many developed countries, has an ageing population, with older people (≥65 years of age) expected to account for almost a quarter of the country's population by 2034. 1,2 Older people are living longer but have more complex medical and dental needs, and they experience barriers to accessing professional dental care. 3-5 NZ policies promote ageing in place, where older people are supported to live independently. By being supported in their own homes with government-funded personal care services, older people can remain connected with their communities for longer. This approach has been shown to be resource-and cost-efficient by reducing the number of older adults in rest home or hospital-level care. [5][6][7]