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- Title
Self-perceived oral function in elderly residents in a suburban area of Stockholm, Sweden.
- Authors
Andersson, Kerstin; Gustafsson, Anders; Buhlin, Kåre; Buhlin, Kåre
- Abstract
<bold>Purpose: </bold>The primary aim was to describe self-perceived oral health and function in a group of adults aged 75 to 84 years. The secondary aim was to study the agreement between self-reported oral function and clinical findings.<bold>Material and Methods: </bold>A 5% sample (150 subjects) was selected at random from the total population (2,910) of 75 to 84-year-old residents in suburban Stockholm, Sweden. The inclusion criterion was that the individual lived independently, without any community assistance. A questionnaire covering self-perceived chewing ability, mouth dryness and bleeding gums was sent by mail. The total response rate was 86%. Of these 129 respondents, a 25.0% subsample was randomly selected for clinical examination by a dental hygienist. No radiographs were used.<bold>Results: </bold>The average age of the individuals was 78.7 years (SD 2.71). Most were satisfied with their oral status and function: > 75.0% reported good chewing ability, correlating with the number of remaining teeth and dentures. Mouth dryness was reported by 41.5% of respondents to the questionnaire; one case was diagnosed in the subsample which underwent clinical examination. Bleeding gums were reported by 11.8% of respondents; clinical examination disclosed bleeding on probing in all participants. Mouth dryness and bleeding gums were not associated with chewing ability.<bold>Conclusion: </bold>Most subjects reported satisfactory chewing ability. Deterioration in oral function correlated with fewer remaining teeth and removable dentures. In relation to the clinical findings, mouth dryness was 'over-reported' and bleeding gums were 'under-reported'.
- Subjects
STOCKHOLM (Sweden); SWEDEN; HEALTH of older people; DENTISTRY; DENTISTS
- Publication
Oral Health & Preventive Dentistry, 2004, Vol 2, Issue 3, p195
- ISSN
1602-1622
- Publication type
journal article