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Stomatologija 2009; 11 (2): 42-47 209 KB

Evaluation of dental care and the prevalence of tooth decay among middle-aged and elderly population of Kaunas city

Jurate Zubiene, Simona Milciuviene, Jurate Klumbiene

Summary

The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence and the intensity of tooth decay among the middle-aged and elderly population of Kaunas, city, and to assess the need for prostheses as well as the possibilities for oral care.

Material and methods. During 2006-2008, we studied 1,141 inhabitants of Kaunas city; the subjects' age was 45-72 years. Oral evaluation technique proposed by the WHO was used in the investigation. We evaluated the prevalence of tooth decay, and its intensity was evaluated using the DMF-T index. We also evaluated dental prostheses, the need for prosthetics, and asked the subjects how they took care of their oral health. Results. The prevalence of tooth decay among middle-aged and elderly population of Kaunas city was 99.9%. The DMF-T index was 21.01±0.3 in the age group of 45-54 years, 23.52±0.4 – in the age group of 55-64 years, and 25.63±0.3 – in the elderly subjects. Full removable dentures were found in 14.0% of the elderly subjects, while 1.0% of the middle-aged subjects and 1.2% of the elderly subjects required full dentures. 57.7% of the subjects aged 45-54 years, 53.1% of the subjects aged 55-64 years, and 43.4% of the elderly subjects brushed their teeth twice daily. Conclusions: The intensity of tooth decay in middle-aged and elderly population of Kaunas city significantly increased with age (21.01-25.63). A relationship was found between oral hygiene status and the DMF-T index. In the middle-aged and elderly population of Kaunas city, the intensity of tooth decay was significantly lower (DMF-T 23.04%) among those who brushed their teeth twice daily than among those who brushed their teeth once daily or less frequently (DMF-T 24.01%). Reduction of the prevalence of tooth decay among middle-aged and elderly population of Kaunas city necessitates alterations in people's attitudes towards dental care, implementation of suitable hygiene habits, and creation and implementation of the dental disease prevention program for adults and the elderly, based on the strategy proposed by the World Health Organization.

Key words: tooth decay, DMF-T index, prostheses, oral care, oral condition.

Received: 06 03 2009

Accepted for publishing: 19 06 2009

*Kaunas University of Medicine, Lithuania

Jurate Zubiene* – D.D.S., assist. prof., Clinic of Oral Health and Pediatric Dentistry

Simona Milciuviene* – D.D.S., PhD, prof., Head of Clinic of Oral Health and Pediatric Dentistry

Jurate Klumbiene*– D.D.S., PhD, assoc. prof., Head of the Laboratory of Preventive Medicine, Institute for Biomedical Research

Address correspondence to Dr. Jurate Zubiene, Clinic of Oral Health and Pediatric Dentistry, Kaunas University of Medicine, Luksos Daumanto str. 6, LT-50106 Kaunas, Lithuania.

E-mail address: j.zubiene @gmail.com



	Baltic Dental and Maxillofacial Journal

June, 2009, Vol. 11, No. 2 CONTENTS ABSTRACTS The 1st Baltic Sea Conference in Orthognathic Surgery and Orthodontics (BSCOSO 2009). September 24-27, 2009, Vilnius, Lithuania SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES Evaluation of dental care and the prevalence of tooth decay among middle-aged and elderly population of Kaunas city Jurate Zubiene, Simona Milciuviene, Jurate Klumbiene 42-47 Growth factors/cytokines/defensins and apoptosis in periodontal pathologies Zane Laurina, Mara Pilmane, Ruta Care 48-54 Stress distribution of an internal connection implant prostheses set: A 3D finite element analysis Regenio Mahfuz Herbstrith Segundo, Hugo Mitsuo Silva Oshima, Isaac Newton Lima da Silva, Luis Henrique Burnnet Junior, Eduardo Goncalves Mota, Liangrid Lutiani Silva 55-59 Intra-articular injection of hyaluronic acid for temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis in elderly patients Luca Guarda-Nardini, Daniele Manfredini, Marco Stifano, Alberto Staffieri, Gino Marioni 60-65 Evaluation of tensile strength of different configurations of orthodontic retraction loops for obtaining optimized forces Miceli Beck Guimaraes Blaya, Graziela Henriques Westphalen, Magali Beck Guimaraes, Luciana Mayumi Hirakata 66-69 © 2009 Stomatologija		Stomatologija 2009; 11 (2): 42-47 209 KB Evaluation of dental care and the prevalence of tooth decay among middle-aged and elderly population of Kaunas city Jurate Zubiene, Simona Milciuviene, Jurate Klumbiene Summary The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence and the intensity of tooth decay among the middle-aged and elderly population of Kaunas, city, and to assess the need for prostheses as well as the possibilities for oral care. Material and methods. During 2006-2008, we studied 1,141 inhabitants of Kaunas city; the subjects' age was 45-72 years. Oral evaluation technique proposed by the WHO was used in the investigation. We evaluated the prevalence of tooth decay, and its intensity was evaluated using the DMF-T index. We also evaluated dental prostheses, the need for prosthetics, and asked the subjects how they took care of their oral health. Results. The prevalence of tooth decay among middle-aged and elderly population of Kaunas city was 99.9%. The DMF-T index was 21.01±0.3 in the age group of 45-54 years, 23.52±0.4 – in the age group of 55-64 years, and 25.63±0.3 – in the elderly subjects. Full removable dentures were found in 14.0% of the elderly subjects, while 1.0% of the middle-aged subjects and 1.2% of the elderly subjects required full dentures. 57.7% of the subjects aged 45-54 years, 53.1% of the subjects aged 55-64 years, and 43.4% of the elderly subjects brushed their teeth twice daily. Conclusions: The intensity of tooth decay in middle-aged and elderly population of Kaunas city significantly increased with age (21.01-25.63). A relationship was found between oral hygiene status and the DMF-T index. In the middle-aged and elderly population of Kaunas city, the intensity of tooth decay was significantly lower (DMF-T 23.04%) among those who brushed their teeth twice daily than among those who brushed their teeth once daily or less frequently (DMF-T 24.01%). Reduction of the prevalence of tooth decay among middle-aged and elderly population of Kaunas city necessitates alterations in people's attitudes towards dental care, implementation of suitable hygiene habits, and creation and implementation of the dental disease prevention program for adults and the elderly, based on the strategy proposed by the World Health Organization. Key words: tooth decay, DMF-T index, prostheses, oral care, oral condition. Received: 06 03 2009 Accepted for publishing: 19 06 2009 Kaunas University of Medicine, Lithuania Jurate Zubiene – D.D.S., assist. prof., Clinic of Oral Health and Pediatric Dentistry Simona Milciuviene* – D.D.S., PhD, prof., Head of Clinic of Oral Health and Pediatric Dentistry Jurate Klumbiene*– D.D.S., PhD, assoc. prof., Head of the Laboratory of Preventive Medicine, Institute for Biomedical Research Address correspondence to Dr. Jurate Zubiene, Clinic of Oral Health and Pediatric Dentistry, Kaunas University of Medicine, Luksos Daumanto str. 6, LT-50106 Kaunas, Lithuania. E-mail address: j.zubiene @gmail.com