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An oral health survey of vulnerable older people in Belgium

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Abstract

Objectives

The aim of this study was to gain insight in the oral health of persons aged 65 years or more.

Materials and methods

Data were obtained from 652 vulnerable older persons (≥65) by means of a clinical oral examination. Additional demographic data were gathered including age, gender, residence, and care dependency.

Results

The mean age of the total study sample was 83 (7.7) years and 71 % was female. Nearly 33 % of the sample was living at home with support, and 67 % was residing in nursing homes. The number of occluding pairs was low and the proportion of edentulous people was highest among persons with the highest care dependency. The mean Decay-missing-filled teeth index (DMFT) was 20.3 (9.0). A prosthetic treatment need and inadequate oral hygiene levels were observed in 40 % and more than 60 % of the subjects, respectively. The highest treatment need was observed in the oldest age group and the highest mean dental plaque in older persons with the highest care dependency.

Conclusions

The oral health in frail older people in Belgium is poor. The restorative and prosthetic treatment need is high and oral hygiene levels are problematic. Age, residence, and care dependency seemed to have some influence on oral health parameters.

Clinical significance

In the long term, the most important future challenge of oral health care policies is to identify older adults before they begin to manifest such oral health deterioration. Regular dental visits should be strongly promoted by all (oral) health care workers during the lifespan of all persons including older adults.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the examined persons with special needs, all members of the Advisory Committee, Stefaan Hanson (coordinator), and the National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance for commissioning and financing the Pilot study “Oral Health in Persons with Special Needs.”

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Community Dentistry and Oral Public Health, Dental School, Ghent University, 185, De Pintelaan, 9000, Ghent, Belgium

    Luc De Visschere, Barbara Janssens, Griet De Reu & Jacques Vanobbergen

  2. BENECOMO, Flemish-Dutch Geriatric Oral Health Research Group, Ghent University, 185, De Pintelaan, 9000, Ghent, Belgium

    Luc De Visschere, Barbara Janssens, Joke Duyck & Jacques Vanobbergen

  3. Department of Oral Health Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

    Joke Duyck

Authors
  1. Luc De Visschere
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  2. Barbara Janssens
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  3. Griet De Reu
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  4. Joke Duyck
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  5. Jacques Vanobbergen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Luc De Visschere.

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The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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De Visschere, L., Janssens, B., De Reu, G. et al. An oral health survey of vulnerable older people in Belgium. Clin Oral Invest 20, 1903–1912 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00784-015-1652-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00784-015-1652-8

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