Oral disorders and treatment implications in people over 75 years

The oral health of subjects over 75 yr and living independently in the southwest of Britain was assessed. The majority (80%) of the sample were edentulous, and a large proportion of both edentate and dentate subjects were using dentures. More than half of the denture wearers were using loose, very unhygienic, or structurally defective dentures. Mucosal pathoses were quite common, although most of the lesions were denture-induced stomatitis found in association with unhygienic dentures. The dentate subjects had, on average, 11 natural teeth, frequently with evidence of root caries and deep periodontal pockets or extreme bone loss. The oral health problems suggest that there is a significant need to develop effective methods of improving oral hygiene in this age group. The prosthetic treatment is related principally to denture repairs while there is a need to control root caries among the growing population of elderly dentate people.