In the past, the age of an individual was considered an important factor in the development of periodontal disease and its treatment. Elderly patients were considered to be at higher risk and have a worse prognosis than younger patients who constituted a low risk category for serious periodontal destruction. Through a critical review of the literature it is pointed out that at the moment age as such can no longer be considered a conditioning factor in the evolution of periodontitis and in its treatment. Rather, it is the proneness of individuals to periodontal disease that is of primary importance in determining periodontal damage, in its prognostic evaluation and in its treatment.