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Oral hygiene and periodontal disease in Victorian nursing homes.

AbstractOBJECTIVE:
To investigate oral hygiene and periodontal disease in residents of Victoria nursing homes.
BACKGROUND:
  The Australian population is ageing with a growing proportion of elderly Australians living in nursing homes. With declining edentulism rates, periodontal disease is becoming more prevalent in this population.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
A total of 275 dentate residents from 31 Victorian nursing homes had a questionnaire and clinical examination using the Visual Plaque Index and a modified Community Periodontal Index.
RESULTS:
Self-reported oral hygiene habits of residents were poor, with less than one-third of residents cleaning their teeth twice daily or more. Periodontal health was found to be extremely poor, and the prevalence of 4 mm+ periodontal pockets was 35.6%, with 10.2% having 6 mm+ pockets. Logistic regression found that age, gender, number of teeth present and oral hygiene were all strongly associated with the prevalence of 4 mm+ periodontal pockets.
CONCLUSION:
Poor oral hygiene and the presence of significant plaque and calculus were common findings in this study. Periodontal diseases are a significant problem for residents in nursing homes. Addressing this health issue will require improved training for carers and better access to appropriate dental services.
AuthorsMatthew S Hopcraft, Michael V Morgan, Julie G Satur, F A Clive Wright, Ivan B Darby
JournalGerodontology (Gerodontology) Vol. 29 Issue 2 Pg. e220-8 (Jun 2012) ISSN: 1741-2358 [Electronic] England
PMID21083744 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
Copyright© 2010 The Gerodontology Society and John Wiley & Sons A/S.
Topics
  • Age Factors
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Chronic Disease
  • Dementia (epidemiology)
  • Dental Calculus (epidemiology)
  • Dental Plaque Index
  • Drug Therapy (statistics & numerical data)
  • Female
  • Gingival Recession (epidemiology)
  • Gingivitis (epidemiology)
  • Homes for the Aged (statistics & numerical data)
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Nursing Homes (statistics & numerical data)
  • Oral Hygiene (statistics & numerical data)
  • Periodontal Diseases (epidemiology)
  • Periodontal Index
  • Periodontal Pocket (epidemiology)
  • Periodontitis (epidemiology)
  • Self Report
  • Sex Factors
  • Tooth Loss (epidemiology)
  • Toothbrushing (statistics & numerical data)
  • Victoria (epidemiology)

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