Background: Oral health of the geriatric population plays a major role in their overall health and quality of life. There is lack of access to dental care among the institutionalized elderly and there is a need to know their felt oral health needs and oral health evaluation of this population. Method: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive type of survey carried out among the institutionalized elderly in Mangalore. The study population comprised all the elderly aged 60 years and above residing in homes for the elderly. Oral health-related quality of life was assessed using a pretested, self-administered questionnaire, Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI). Oral examination was conducted in the homes using WHO oral health assessment form. The data were coded, statistical analysis was done using the SPSS version 19.0 and level of significance was kept at p < 0.05. Findings: A total of 175 individuals participated in this study. Prevalence of dental caries was 44.6% (20.32±10.19), root caries was 40%, 57% had periodontal disease and 96% were complete or partially edentulous respectively. There was a significant association between GOHAI scores and the method of cleaning (p<0.005) and the frequency of changing toothbrush (p<0.005). Conclusion: This study demonstrates that there is a high burden of oral disease among the elderly. There is an urgent need for an organized geriatric dental care programs as their oral health is neglected. Keywords: Geriatric Dentistry, Geriatric Assessment, Oral Health, Homes for the aged, Dental Health Survey.