Implications of Edentulism on Quality of Life among Elderly

Abstract

This study aimed was to test the association between quality of life and edentulism among elderly individuals in a city in southeastern Brazil. This cross-sectional study was carried out with 163 individuals aged 60 years or older, functionally independent and non-institutionalized. Data were collected with a questionnaire and oral examination. The edentulism was the dependent variable. The independent variables were sex, age, household income and quality of life (WHOQOL-Old) and their scores. To assess the association between the dependent variable and independent variables was used bivariate analysis (p < 0.10). Poisson regression model was performed, adjusting for age and sex. The average age of participants was 69 years (± 6.1), 68.7% were female and 52.8% were diagnosed as completely edentulous (90% CI: 0.33–1.24). When the independent variables were associated to the prevalence of edentulism, statistically significant associations were found for age (p = 0.03) and social participation dimension of the WHOQOL-Old (p = 0.08). In the Poisson regression, social participation remained statistically associated to edentulism {RP = 2.12 [90% CI (1.10–4.00)]}. The social participation proved to have a significant association to edentulism, thereby attesting to the negative effect of this condition on social aspects.

Inequalities in Oral Health among Older Brazilians: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of a National Survey

“…Results from a study carried out in the Southeast region of Brazil suggested that social participation reduces the prevalence of edentulousness among the elderly population [27].…”

Epigenetic Regulation of Epidermal Differentiation

“…One of the truncated forms of p63, DN-p63a, functions as a survival factor in epidermal cells. Not surprisingly, DNp63a has been found to have enhanced expression in 80% of SCCs, and was shown to function synergistically with HDAC1/2 to inhibit apoptosis (Rodrigues et al 2012). Importantly, pharmaceutical inhibitors of HDACs also induced growth arrest in SCC cell lines, suggesting that HDACs are potential pharmaceutical targets for the treatment of skin cancers (Saunders et al 1999).…”

Autopercepção em saúde bucal, uso e necessidade de prótese na população de Alagoinha-PB: estudo de base domiciliar

“…Todos os indivíduos devem ter uma saúde oral adequada que lhes permita falar, mastigar, reconhecer sabores, sorrir, viver sem dor ou desconforto e inter-relacionar com outras pessoas sem constrangimento [5,16,17].…”

“…Uma condição bucal deficiente, como a ausência dentária, contribui diretamente para a restrição da alimentação, participando como um fator negativo em suas atividades sociais e, muitas vezes, isola o indivíduo do convívio social [4,5].…”