Longitudinal Research Regarding Oral Environment in the Elderly with Prostheses

Objective: It is considered that the prosthesis affects the oral environment. Especially, oral environment may be associated with the status of prosthesis (fixed or removable) or term of existing restorations in the elderly. The purpose of this study was to examine oral environmental factors in the elderly during a three-year follow-up period and to compare between baseline and follow-up separated by the statues of prosthesis. Methods: The volunteers were selected 19 elderly aged over 65. They were divided 9 fixed partial denture (dentate group) and 10 removable denture group (denture group) resulting from oral examination. We investigated them in 1999, and recalled the same in 2002 after three years. The oral environmental factors were examined on meal frequency, number of daily medicines and eating frequency from medical interview and their stimulated saliva flow rate and buffer capacity, unstimulated saliva flow rate and buffer capacity, and salivary microbial counts (mutans streptococci: SM, Lactobacilli: LB, Candida: CA) using Dentocult series (Orion Diagnostica, Finland). Ten oral environmental factors were compared between baseline and follow-up with Wilcoxon's signed rank test. Results: As a result, significant difference was observed unstimulated saliva flow rate and number of daily medicines in dentate group, and was observed LB in denture group between baseline and follow-up (p<0.05). Conclusion: It is suggested that in denture wearing elderly salivary microbial counts changed during three years and in dentate elderly was changed saliva flow rate with passing.