Several guidelines for the evidence-based diagnosis and treatment of dementing disorders have been published in Germany and worldwide during the last years. This review analyses the content and methodological quality of 13 recently published dementia guidelines. There are some unequivocal recommendations for diagnostic procedures (e. g. clinical evaluation, neuropsychological screening, structural brain imaging) and treatment (e. g. cholinesterase inhibitors). There is a broad range of opinions on other procedures (e. g. routine EEG, FDG PET, cognitive training). A discussion of the prevalent guideline pluralism and a pleading for regionally adapted international guidelines conclude this article.