Nursing home residents with dementia have poor teeth
9 August 2002
Adelaide researchers have highlighted the poor dental health of nursing home residents, especially those with dementia.
When they looked at the dental health of 224 residents from 7 randomly selected nursing homes, they found two-thirds of residents had lost all their teeth. The rest had, on average, only 12 teeth, and high levels of dental caries or accumulated plaque (Australian Dental Journal 2002; 47: 123-30).
The residents with the poorest dental health were men admitted more than 3 years previously, who ate a monotonous diet and were more severely cognitively impaired.
They had more retained roots, decayed teeth and missing teeth, and fewer filled teeth, compared with older people living in the community.
Residents in the study were functionally dependent, cognitively impaired and had behavioural problems.
Last Reviewed: 09 August 2002
- 1. Medical Observer Weekly 9/8/02
