Abstract
The aim of the study was to de-termine the oral health status and treatment needs of elderly residents of residential homes in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods: Among 129 elderly residents, 83 (51 males, and 32 females) of them were interviewed and clini-cally examined according to WHO criteria by two calibrated dentists. Results: The mean age of the subjects was 72 ± 8.5. Male subjects had a higher smoking rate than females. Among elderly subjects below 74 years old, 20.8% had a functional dentition (> or = 20), while only 6.7% for those aged greater or equal to 75 years (p = 0.0004). Mean number of the sound teeth in all subjects was 6.7 ± 8.5. The mean number of DMFT was 18.6 ± 12.6. The missing component was the highest (16 ± 13) for both genders. The mean number of decayed roots was 2.75 ± 3.95 in males and 0.63 ± 1.96 in females. Overall, males had more sound and decayed teeth and less filled and missed teeth than females. There was no significant difference between males and females in periodontal problems except the calculus scores. The majority of subjects in need for tooth extraction were male subjects. With no gender difference 63% were in need for restorations, 40% needed upper and lower full dentures. Need for partial dentures was 38% upper and 48% lower. Conclusion: The oral health of the institutionalized elderly population in Saudi Arabia is generally poor and their treatment needs are high.
Highlights
Oral health care for the increasing number of older residents living in nursing and elder-care homes continues to challenge caregivers, who are already overworked, to provide the necessary support for daily health maintenance
In-depth interviews and clinical examinations were conducted according to the criteria of the World Health Organization (WHO) in two residential homes in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in June 2009
The findings of the present study established that oral health care screening is imperative and effective, for the identification and assessment of dental needs and oral health status of older people in residential homes
Summary
Oral health care for the increasing number of older residents living in nursing and elder-care homes continues to challenge caregivers, who are already overworked, to provide the necessary support for daily health maintenance. Older-age people comprise a substantial portion of the population and the number is expected to increase exponentially due to changes in the life expectancy brought about by economic development in many parts of the world. 80% of older people reside in the developed world, with the majority housed in nursing and eldercare homes. In 2010, the number of people 65 years and older in Saudi Arabia was approximately 778,000, which represents 4% of the total population [4]
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