There has been little systematic investigation of tissues within the aging oral cavity. The purpose of this project is to assess the oral physiological status of participants in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study and thus provide baseline information which is lacking . The objectives of the study remain the same: (1) define subjects' dental and oral health; (2) examine biological factors likely to influence oral health. After three years, 310 subjects have been seen and approximately 150 pieces of information accumulated/subject. Major effort has been directed in collating data and analyzing results in three information areas: a) demographic and general dental descriptions of the subset of BLS subjects participating in the oral physiology study: b) evaluation of exocrine protein secretion from stimulated parotid glands: (c) evaluation of taste acuity and taste intensity perception.