IADR Abstract Archives
Long-term Care Residents with Dementia are Aware of Their Poor Oral Health
Objectives: Age is the greatest risk factor for dementia and as the aging global population increases, so will its prevalence. To determine if long-term care (LTC) residents with dementia have an accurate view of their own oral health status, and how that status compares to their long-term peers without dementia.
Methods: We enrolled 36 residents of LTC, 22 of whom have dementia. All subjects reported their dietary and oral hygiene habits, and received an oral screening comprised of salivary pH, the General Oral Health Assessment Index, (GOHAI, Atchinson and Dolan, 1990), the Brief Oral Health Status Examination (BOHSE, Kayser-Jones et al., 1995), and the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (Greene and Vermillion, 1960). The GOHAI is a self-report scale measuring a patient’s opinion of their own oral health, whereas BOHSE is an oral health screening administered by a dental professional.
Results: Self-reported GOHAI scores were significantly higher in residents with dementia than controls (p<0.04), indicating worse oral health related quality of life than controls. LTC residents with dementia also had worse oral health than controls as measured by the BOHSE (p<0.002). Two other objective measures of oral health, tooth plaque index and salivary pH, was no different between those with or without dementia. As potential contributors to poor oral health, LTC patients with dementia tended to floss less often than controls and visited the dentist significantly less often (p<0.01). Additionally, patients with dementia tended to have more sugary drinks/day and significantly had soft and liquid diets (p<0.05) more often than controls.
Conclusions: Encouragingly, LTC residents with dementia did have an accurate view of their own poor oral health. This poor oral health may be due to rarer oral hygiene, fewer visits to the dentist and a sugar-laden diet. LTC residents with dementia must receive proper diet and oral hygiene.
Methods: We enrolled 36 residents of LTC, 22 of whom have dementia. All subjects reported their dietary and oral hygiene habits, and received an oral screening comprised of salivary pH, the General Oral Health Assessment Index, (GOHAI, Atchinson and Dolan, 1990), the Brief Oral Health Status Examination (BOHSE, Kayser-Jones et al., 1995), and the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (Greene and Vermillion, 1960). The GOHAI is a self-report scale measuring a patient’s opinion of their own oral health, whereas BOHSE is an oral health screening administered by a dental professional.
Results: Self-reported GOHAI scores were significantly higher in residents with dementia than controls (p<0.04), indicating worse oral health related quality of life than controls. LTC residents with dementia also had worse oral health than controls as measured by the BOHSE (p<0.002). Two other objective measures of oral health, tooth plaque index and salivary pH, was no different between those with or without dementia. As potential contributors to poor oral health, LTC patients with dementia tended to floss less often than controls and visited the dentist significantly less often (p<0.01). Additionally, patients with dementia tended to have more sugary drinks/day and significantly had soft and liquid diets (p<0.05) more often than controls.
Conclusions: Encouragingly, LTC residents with dementia did have an accurate view of their own poor oral health. This poor oral health may be due to rarer oral hygiene, fewer visits to the dentist and a sugar-laden diet. LTC residents with dementia must receive proper diet and oral hygiene.