Oral Hygiene and Tooth Retention in Elderly Nigerians

Objectives: To describe the oral health status of a group of low-income elderly persons in terms of oral hygiene, periodontal treatment needs and remaining teeth. Methods: Cross-sectional study of elderly persons attending a free geriatric medical clinic in Lagos Nigeria for medical consultation between June and December 2003. Results: 161 persons were examined, of which one was completely edentulous. Majority 96 (60%) use only the chewing stick for oral hygiene purposes and 112 (70%) clean once a day. There was a significant difference between methods of oral hygiene and state of oral hygiene. Oral hygiene was significantly poorer in those who use only the chewing stick (p=0.011). Nearly all-154 (96.3%) had periodontal treatment needs with 50 (31.3%) having a CPITN score of 4. One hundred and forty-four (90%) of them had more than 20 teeth remaining while only 3 (1.9%) had 10 or less teeth. Fifty-five (34.4%) had all their teeth intact. Conclusion: There is a high level of tooth retention in the population studied, however, there is a normative need for periodontal treatment. Oral health promotion in Nigeria should be directed towards a reduction in prevalence of periodontal disease.