Oral health-related well-being of the long-term hospitalised elderly

To investigate oral health-related well-being of the long-term hospitalised elderly as reported by their primary nurses in relation to subject's oral health assessed either by primary nurses or by a clinical dental examination.

Little is known about oral health-related well-being of the medically compromised, long-term hospitalised elderly, most of whom are unable to express their feelings and opinions.

A cross-sectional study using a questionnaire for primary nurses about oral health and oral health-related well-being regarding functional, pain/discomfort-related, and psychosocial limitations of the subjects (n = 255) and assessment of oral health by clinical examination. The total number of limitations and the number of limitations in each category was calculated.

Most (77%) of our subjects were unable to eat normal food. Functional limitations dominated followed by psychosocial and pain/discomfort-related limitations. Overall assessment by each subject's primary nurse ranked oral health of as good for 9% of subjects, as moderate for 44%, and as poor for 47%. Clinical examination-based assessment ranked oral health as good for 19%, as moderate for 33%, and as poor for 48% of our subjects, with good oral health being ranked as good for more men than women (26% vs. 16%; p = 0.045). Fewer limitations were recorded for those with better oral health assessed both by primary nurse and by clinical examination.

More efforts are called for to maintain the oral health of the long-term hospitalised elderly so as to improve their well-being.