Although the skin of the elderly shows many clinically obvious changes such as wrinking, dryness and patchy pigmentation it is difficult to determine to what extent extrinsic factors are responsible. On the other hand the mucosa lining the mouth which is exposed to a different environment has been claimed to show many similar clinical changes. The literature describing age‐associated cellular changes is replete with conflicting reports. This is compounded by confusion of what constitutes “old”. There is no consensus on age‐associated changes of fundamental attributes such as epithelial thickness, rates of tissue turnover or metabolic activity. Studies being carried out by the author suggest that there are few structural changes which occur in all surface epithelia with age but glycolytic activity is significantly increased. Ultrastructurally, significant quantities of fine fibrillar material have been observed to be associated with the basement membrane of oral epithelium, blood vessels and nerve bundles in the cheek. It is concluded that structural and functional changes that occur in skin and mucosa with age have not yet been defined adequately and further research is necessary in th