Oral Findings in Elderly Nursing Home Residents in Selected Countries. I.

Abstract

In order to determine the influence of culture, individual idiosyncrasy, social and economic conditions as well as the importance of past and current dental care on oral health, the oral conditions of 610 patients in seven old age homes were evaluated in four countries: USA, Peru, Argentina and Israel. The patients included in this study were examined by clinicians who had undergone training and calibration sessions. The seven institutions surveyed have a large range of physical facilities, economic levels, and a variety of quantity and quality among medical, dental and ancillary staff. There were marked differences as to philosophy of treatment and scope for the dental care of the residents. A subjective impression by the examiners is that old age home administrators do not regard the dental needs of the residents to be among their higher priorities. Dental care is considered expensive and requires special equipment and exclusive physical space on the institutional premises. Of the 610 residents 419 were women and 191 men, with an average age of 80 years. The mean number of years of schooling was six. Sixty-two percent of the examinees were widowed, 21% were married, 1% single, 2% divorced, and 5% of unknown or undeclared status. The main orodontal characteristic of the population surveyed was partial or full eduentulousness. Of the total population (610 examinees) only three patients possessed a full complement of natural, unrestored teeth. Twelve examinees had 28 unit dentition, partly natural teeth and partly restored with plastic fillings, fixed prostheses, crowns or pontics. Three hundred and one patients (49%) of the examined population were totally edentulous, 249 (41%) wore sets of complete dentures and 52 (8%) did not wear any prosthetic restoration or replacement.