Unsatisfactory oral and rehabilitation conditions dissociated from quality of life perception in institutionalized and community-dwelling elderly

Authors

  • Paulo Rogério Ferreti Bonan Universidade Estadual de Montes Claros, UNIMONTES
  • Sabina Pena Borges Universidade Estadual de Montes Claros, UNIMONTES
  • Desirée Santana Haikal Universidade Estadual de Montes Claros, UNIMONTES
  • Marise Fagundes Silveira Universidade Estadual de Montes Claros, UNIMONTES
  • Hercílio Martelli-Júnior Universidade Estadual de Montes Claros, UNIMONTES

Keywords:

Dental prosthesis, elderly, institutionalization, quality of life

Abstract

Purpose: Most elderly are edentulous and need oral rehabilitation with dental prostheses. This study aimed to evaluate the quality of life, as measured by the GOHAI index, and its association with partial prostheses, complete dentures needs and oral lesions in institutionalized and community-dwelling elderly. Methods: The study design was cross-sectional and descriptive. The sample comprised community-dwelling elderly attending the Unimontes dental clinics (n = 45) and institutionalized elderly (n = 45) living in nursing homes in Montes Claros, MG. Data were collected by using clinical examination and the GOHAI test. Results: There was high percentage of complete dentures use in both groups, frequent absence of dentures in institutionalized edentulous subjects, unsatisfactory denture conditions and associated oral lesions. The GOHAI index results showed that the oral health perception was deficient in both groups. Conclusion: The results suggest that institutionalized elderly have oral health and rehabilitation conditions worse than community-dwelling subjects. Nevertheless, in both groups most subjects had dentures with unsatisfactory quality and needed intervention. In relation to the quality of life index, absence or presence of dentures and their technical condition were not related factors. Key words: Dental prosthesis; elderly; institutionalization; epidemiology; quality of life

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Published

2008-06-22

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Section

Original Article