Multimorbidity patterns and prevalence among geriatric patients in Japanese hospital dentistry

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of multimorbidity of a hospital dental patients with high rates of aging in Japan and to identify multimorbidity patterns in older patients (aged 65 years and older) through cluster analysis. As the population ages, the number of patients with multimorbidity is rising, highlighting the need for efficient allocation of dental resources and collaboration with other healthcare professionals. However, the prevalence and patterns of multimorbidity in older dental patients have not yet been reported. Such data could support standardized approaches to systematizing dental care.

A retrospective survey was conducted on 1,011 patients in the Dental and Oral Surgery Department of Acute Care Hospital from April to October 2022, examining 17 types of chronic diseases per patient. For patients aged 65 years and older, cluster analysis using the non-hierarchical k-means method was applied to identify multimorbidity patterns.

The prevalence of multimorbidity was 61.4% among all patients and 86.5% among those aged 65 years and older. Cluster analysis revealed five distinct multimorbidity patterns in patients aged 65 and older, each defined by specific combinations of chronic diseases. Additionally, low independence in daily activities and high nursing care needs were associated with two particular multimorbidity patterns: a combination of stroke, digestive disease, hypertension, neurological disease, and a combination of cardiovascular disease, digestive disease, and metabolic disease.

This study identified the prevalence and specific patterns of multimorbidity among older hospital dental patients, providing essential insights for dental professionals to enhance service provision and manage complex multimorbidity cases.