Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
5662776 | NPG Neurologie - Psychiatrie - Gériatrie | 2017 | 7 Pages |
Abstract
The oral health of elderly adults is still a major public health challenge. Seventy-five percent of the population aged 65Â years or over has dental health that interferes with normal eating. A dental and oral evaluation by a dentist was offered to the 98Â residents of one nursing home. A complete report on the dental care required was subsequently sent to the resident and his/her family or the legal representative where appropriate. Twelve months later, compliance with the recommendation was assessed. Of the 98Â residents, 50Â agreed to participate, among whom 96% had significant needs in terms of oral health. Twenty-eight residents needed dentures, 25 at least one tooth extraction, 8 required tartar removal, and for 2, an immediate referral to a specialist was advised. At 12Â months, only 25 of the residents assessed had undergone the recommended care. The main factors having motivated the non-compliance with the recommendations were the accessibility of the dental office for people with impaired mobility, severe psychobehavioural disorders, and refusal to initiate the dental care from non-family legal representatives. The question of the cost was only secondarily reported. This study confirms the considerable needs for dental care among nursing home residents. It also raises the question of the need for referent health care workers in oral and dental health, as well as the development of dental offices adapted to elderly individuals with impaired mobility.
Keywords
Related Topics
Health Sciences
Medicine and Dentistry
Geriatrics and Gerontology
Authors
K. Mangeney, H. Barthélémy, T. Vogel, B. Rappin, S. Sokolakis, P.-O. Lang,