Dental and periodontal problems of elderly people in Vietnamese nursing homes

To determine the oral health status and treatment needs of elderly residents in Vietnamese nursing homes.

This study was conducted among 360 men and 431 women with a mean age of 72.9 ± 9.1 years in three nursing homes in Ho Chi Minh City. Demographic information on education, duration of stay, chronic diseases, tooth brushing and tobacco use were obtained from medical records and a questionnaire. The oral health of participants was clinically assessed by a dental examiner using WHO criteria. Oral health status included estimates of coronal and root caries, periodontal disease, denture status and dental treatment needs.

Nearly all (90.1%) of the participants had natural teeth. The mean numbers of teeth with coronal or root decay were 5.8 ± 4.0 and 6.0 ± 4.2, respectively, and almost everyone required at least one restoration for coronal or root caries. Most of the participants with natural teeth had bleeding gingiva on probing, 26.2% had deep periodontal pockets, 96.5% needed oral hygiene improvement plus scaling and 20.3% required complex periodontal treatment. None of the edentulous participants had dentures, and 86.6% required new or repaired dentures.

The prevalence of untreated oral diseases is very high and the need for dental care extensive among the residents of government-administered long-term care facilities in Ho Chi Minh City.