IADR Abstract Archives
Effect of Diabetes and Long-Term Care on Oral Health
Objectives: Diabetes leads to poor oral health as does living in a long-term care (LTC) facility. We are interested in observing the compounding effect on oral health of having diabetes and living in LTC. Thus, we measured the oral health of elderly diabetics living in LTC and considered the influence of living in an institution. We expected oral health to be worst in LTC residents with diabetes, compared to residents of LTC without diabetes, and community-dwelling elders.
Methods: We enrolled 36 residents of LTC, 7 of whom were diabetic. We also assessed 25 healthy community-dwelling elderly. All subjects reported their dietary and oral hygiene habits, and received an oral screening comprised of salivary pH, the Brief Oral Health Status Examination (Kayser-Jones et al., 1995), and the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (Greene and Vermillion, 1960).
Results: Unexpectedly, no oral health measures differed between LTC residents with or without diabetes. Diet and oral hygiene for these two groups was statistically the same, so differences in oral care do not account for the unexpected equivalence in oral health. Healthy residents of LTC had increased plaque accumulation compared to community-dwelling healthy adults.
Conclusions: Although a diagnosis of diabetes and living in LTC independently cause poor oral health, we found that diabetics living in LTC have no worse oral health than their peers. This was not due to a difference in diet or oral hygiene between residents with or without diabetes. We show that the detrimental effect of living in LTC is large, not only because the expected detrimental effect of diabetes disappeared, but also because community-dwelling elderly had significantly lower plaque indices. Health professionals must tend equally to the oral health of all LTC residents regardless of their diabetes status. Community adults considering LTC should be informed of its detrimental effects on oral health.
Methods: We enrolled 36 residents of LTC, 7 of whom were diabetic. We also assessed 25 healthy community-dwelling elderly. All subjects reported their dietary and oral hygiene habits, and received an oral screening comprised of salivary pH, the Brief Oral Health Status Examination (Kayser-Jones et al., 1995), and the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (Greene and Vermillion, 1960).
Results: Unexpectedly, no oral health measures differed between LTC residents with or without diabetes. Diet and oral hygiene for these two groups was statistically the same, so differences in oral care do not account for the unexpected equivalence in oral health. Healthy residents of LTC had increased plaque accumulation compared to community-dwelling healthy adults.
Conclusions: Although a diagnosis of diabetes and living in LTC independently cause poor oral health, we found that diabetics living in LTC have no worse oral health than their peers. This was not due to a difference in diet or oral hygiene between residents with or without diabetes. We show that the detrimental effect of living in LTC is large, not only because the expected detrimental effect of diabetes disappeared, but also because community-dwelling elderly had significantly lower plaque indices. Health professionals must tend equally to the oral health of all LTC residents regardless of their diabetes status. Community adults considering LTC should be informed of its detrimental effects on oral health.