Community Dental Health

cover art

Cover Date:
December 2008
Print ISSN:
0265 539X
Vol:
25
Issue:
4

Oral health problems and needs in nursing home residents in Northern Italy

Objective: To describe the oral health status and treatment needs of a sample of elderly people residing in nursing homes in Northern Italy. Research design: a sample of 595 elderly residents (mean age 83.2±9.2 yrs), with adequate cognitive skills were examined by six calibrated dentists. Results: The sample (82% women) was divided into two groups: edentulous (43%) and dentate. In the edentulous group 58% wore dentures in both jaws, 8% in only one jaw and 34% had no dentures. The main problems were dirty or loose dentures and poor oral hygiene. In the dentate group the mean number of teeth was 8.4±7.4, 53% wore dentures (removable, fixed or a combination). Poor oral hygiene was found in 86%, root caries in 51% and coronal caries in 46%. Their main needs were professional cleaning (72%), oral hygiene instructions (62%) and tooth/root extractions (56%). While normative needs were noted for 82% of the whole sample, oral treatment needs were accurately perceived by only 20% of residents, poorly by 24%, while 46% indicated that they had no oral treatment needs.

Key words: Elderly, nursing home, oral health status, oral needs

Article Price
£15.00
Institution Article Price
£
Page Start
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Authors
R. Ferro, A. Besostri, L. Strohmenger, L. Mazzucchelli, G. Paoletti, A. Senna, E. Stellini, S. Mazzoleni

Articles from this issue

  • Title
  • Pg. Start
  • Pg. End

  1. Oral health problems and needs in nursing home residents in Northern Italy
  2. 0
  3. 0

  1. Editorial - The statistical legacy of William Sealy Gosset (“Student”)
  2. 194
  3. 195

  1. Effect of tooth loss and denture status on oral health-related quality of life of older individuals from Sri Lanka
  2. 196
  3. 200

  1. The distribution of general dental practitioners with NHS contract numbers in relation to the distance of their practices from the seven dental undergraduate teaching hospitals in England outside London
  2. 201
  3. 204

  1. Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health, The University of Adelaide, Australia
  2. 205
  3. 210

  1. Retention and effectiveness of fissure sealants in Kuwaiti school children
  2. 211
  3. 215

  1. Loss of sealant retention and subsequent caries development.
  2. 216
  3. 220

  1. Oral health and treatment needs among 15-year-olds in Tehran, Iran
  2. 221
  3. 225

  1. The frequency of periodontal infrabony defects on panoramic radiographs of an adult population seeking dental care
  2. 226
  3. 230

  1. Caries prevalence and need for dental care in 13–18-year-olds in the Municipality of Milan, Italy.
  2. 237
  3. 242

  1. Number of teeth and serum lipid peroxide in 85-year-olds
  2. 243
  3. 247

  1. Access to dental services for people with a physical disability: a survey of general dental practitioners in Leicestershire, UK
  2. 248
  3. 252

  1. Short Communication - Risk indicators of dental caries in 5-year-old Brazilian children
  2. 253
  3. 256