Oral Health Profile Status and Treatment Needs in the Salvadoran Elderly Population

Abstract

It is characteristic of older adults to present physiological changes in oral tissues and increased dental loss, mainly as a consequence of periodontal disease and dental caries. Epidemiological surveillance contributes to the development of strategies aiming to improve the quality of life and life expectancy of this population group. Given the lack of epidemiological data, the purpose of this study was to determine the oral health profile status and treatment needs of the elderly population of El Salvador. To that end, we conducted secondary analysis of the results of a recent oral health survey of 471 Salvadorians aged 60 years and older. The variables under study were: socio-demographics, brushing frequency, oral hygiene was measured using the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (OHI-S), Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth index (DMFT) diagnosed with International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS), periodontopathies diagnosed with Community periodontal index of treatment needs (CPITN), edentulism and treatment needs. Student’s t-test, χ2, the z-test and a confidence level p < 0.05 were used. Of the survey respondents, 42.68% presented deficient oral hygiene, while 52.02% brushed twice a day. The DMFT index score was determinated to be 23.38. The Salvadoran elderly had an average of 16 missing teeth, 6 decayed, 1 filled and 5 healthy; while one-third had total edentulism. The survey respondents had a low frequency of brushing, with most categorized as having “poor” or “very poor” oral hygiene. Almost all respondents had some degree of periodontal disease and required restorative intervention.