The purpose of the present study was to investigate the dental state of the elderly, to provide a subjective appraisal of their chewing ability and their inability to eat certain foods because of their poor dental state. The subjects were 480 residents of 24 municipal old people's homes in different parts of Finland. Of the subjects, 153 were men and 327 women, and their ages ranged from 65 to 100 years. The methods used were clinical examination and interview. The clinical examination revealed that 68% of the subjects had no natural teeth, and 22% had neither natural nor artificial teeth. The number of teeth in dentate subjects was small (average 7.6), and the condition mostly poor. Only 2% had any serviceable counterparts. 51% of the subjects wore dentures: 57 subjects in the maxilla alone, three in the mandible alone and 186 in both maxilla and mandible. 41% said that because of their teeth they were unable to eat some foods they would have liked to eat, crisp bread being mentioned most often as such a food (85% of those with chewing difficulties). Edentulous subjects and dentate subjects wearing both maxillary and mandibular dentures said more often than those without dentures that they could eat everything; those without any teeth had most often (59%) to avoid some foods. More attention should be given to the dental condition and the masticatory function of the elderly, especially of those living in institutions, to ensure that they are comfortable physically, psychologically, and socially for the rest of their lives.
The aim of the study was to investigate the type and incidence of oral mucosal disorders in the elderly, any relationship between these disorders and the wearing of dentures, and the associated subjective symptoms of pain. The subjects were 480 residents of 24 municipal old people's homes in different parts of Finland: 153 males and 327 females, age range 65-100 years. The methods used were clinical examination and interview. Clinical examination showed about 60% of the elderly to have one or more oral mucosal disorders. Altogether, 431 pathological conditions were recorded, with changes of the surface of the tongue the most frequent. Hyperplasia and/or denture-related ulcerations and press-points were found in 43% of denture wearers. The interviews revealed that only 17% of those with oral mucosal disorders had symptoms of pain, most frequently caused by press-points and ulcerations. The absence of subjective symptoms emphasizes the importance of frequent oral examinations, especially of the oral mucosa.
As oral health is especially important for physically, mentally and socially handicapped old people, the aim of this study was to investigate the dental services provided for people living in municipal old people's homes in Finland. The study involved all the 431 municipal old people's homes in Finland in 1989. The directors of the old people's homes were asked to fill in a questionnaire. The response rate was 99.5%. The study showed that the dental services provided for the elderly vary greatly in different old people's homes. As a whole, however, dental care arrangements are inadequate: oral examinations on admission are performed always in 11% and never in 47% of the old people's homes, and oral examinations for residents are carried out annually in 23% and never in 21%. In 56% of the homes the need for treatment comes to light only when the old people themselves complain about a dental problem. Comprehensive dental care is available in 16% of the homes. One notable feature is that, although all the homes are publicly owned, the system of charging for the dental care of the elderly varies considerably between different homes. Comparing the results of this study with those from earlier investigations shows that, although there has been some progress in dental service arrangements in the 1980s, the oral care provided for these old people is still far from satisfactory. It is obvious that the value of oral health as an important component of human well-being is not yet widely recognized. To rectify the situation uniform regulations governing dental services for the elderly in institutions are required for the whole of the country.
As oral health status depends greatly on the dental care arrangements available, the aim of this study was to investigate the dental services provided for elderly people living in private old people's homes in Finland. The study involved all 94 old people's homes that offered private care in 1987. The directors of the old people's homes were asked to fill in a questionnaire. The response rate was 100%. The study showed that the dental care arrangements were inadequate: regular oral examinations and comprehensive dental treatment were infrequent. In 96% of the homes the need for treatment normally came to light only when the residents themselves complained about a dental problem. In 60% of the homes the residents had to pay the full cost of their dental treatment. These must be considered the two greatest weaknesses in the dental service for the elderly in the old people's homes studied. The ignorance among the directors of the importance of oral health was alarming: only one fifth considered dental care of the elderly more important than services such as hairdressing. It is obvious that uniform regulations are needed for the whole country concerning dental services for the elderly in institutions.
The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between such general diseases and dental treatability of the elderly living in municipal old people's homes in Finland. The sampling methods used were PPS sampling (probabilities proportionate to size), and non-randomized and randomized sampling. The subjects were 480 residents of 24 municipal old people's homes in different parts of Finland. Of the subjects 153 were men and 327 women, and their ages ranged from 65 to 100 yr. Data on the general diseases was obtained from the subjects' medical histories. The assessment of dental treatability was based on the subjects' communicative ability and cooperation during interview, on a clinical oral examination, and on the subjects' ability to cope with the stress of an interview and examination. Eleven percent of the subjects had no diagnosed diseases, whereas 28% had three or more. The most common diseases in both men and women were cardiovascular diseases followed by respiratory disorders in men and endocrine disorders in women. The dental treatability was considered very poor or poor in 29% and good in 26% of cases. No clear statistical correlation was found between dental treatability and the number of diseases suffered by the subject. However, cardiovascular diseases and neurologic and mental disorders were found to reduce dental treatability more than other disorders.
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