Oral Hygiene Of The Elderly

Objectives: To assess oral hygiene of the elderly aged between 60-90 in Lahore City,Pakistan.
Methods: A convenience (non-probability) sample of 100 individuals chosen between the ages of 60-90 years, Lahore. Collection of data was done using a self-administered questionnaire comprising of 12 questions. Data entry and statistical analysis were done using IBM SPSS version 2017. Frequency distribution chi-square test of significance performed.
Results: The final sample size (n=100) consisted of 60% male and 40% female. 17% of elderly reported the use of Mouthwash, 57% used Toothpick/Miswak while 26% never used interdental cleaning aids. 27% of elderly aged 60-90 had 25-30 functional teeth (p.value0.007) which was highly significant. 69% of elderly aged 60-90 brushed their teeth (p.value 0.013) which was also significant. 70% of the elderly aged 60-90 never smoked (p.value 0.00) which was highly significant.
Conclusions: The finding of this study suggests that the individuals who maintained their oral hygiene by taking several measures i.e (brushing, use of inter-dental cleaning aids, No smoking) had a positive impact on their oral health. Our significant results reflected that number of functional teeth was greater in individuals who took better care of their oral health. The importance of maintaining oral hygiene was emphasized in our study. As good oral hygiene can protect our teeth as we get older and prevent us from several infections and diseases.