Oral Health Practices Among Elder People of Malolos,, Bulacan

Oral practices among elderly suggest their oral conditions. Objective: This study determined the oral health practices of the elderly population of Malolos, Bulacan. Methods: Convenient sampling was used to select 259 elder people aged 60 to 94 years old, were interviewed, asked to complete a set of questionnaires which included their personal demographic profile, and were examined to include the DMF rate. Existing oral health practices of the subjects were recorded and analyzed. Results: Of the subjects studied, 66% brushes their teeth 2 to 3 times a day; 88.8% brushes their teeth “side by side” and “up and down”; 40.92% changes their toothbrush once a year or if needed; 82.63% did not use mouthwash; 89.72% never used dental floss; 65.65% had not visited a dentist; while 90.74% do not have any dietary practices to keep their mouth clean and healthy. Among the subjects' oral habits are betel nut chewing (22%) ; reverse smoking ( 4.2%) and bottle opening using their teeth ( 0.8%). The mean DMF score is 7.6 and standard deviation of 1.38. Conclusions: The inadequate and poor oral health practices of the elder people had directly affected their oral health status with high DMF rate.