Dental screening of long stay geriatric patients in West Essex and recommendations for their care.
A dental screening programme at a West Essex Health Authority hospital provided data from 151 in-patients, most of whom were in long-stay geriatric care. 71 per cent were female and the mean age of the geriatric patients was 81 years. 61 subjects (40 per cent) suffered predominantly from mental illness. 107 subjects (71 per cent) were edentulous but a higher proportion of elderly mentally ill patients (42 per cent) had retained some of their natural teeth compared with 20 per cent of the others. 26 edentulous subjects were not in possession of any dentures and the standard of oral and denture hygiene was poor. 59 in-patients (39 per cent) had 'expressed' need for dental treatment and a further 51 (34 per cent) were unable or unwilling to communicate their need. An important aspect of their dental care was the provision and maintenance of a preventive dental programme for both dentate patients and denture wearers.
Tobias
B
B
Community Dental Department, West Essex Health Authority, Harlow.
Smith
D M
DM
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003729:Dental Care; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology; D003778:Dentures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005891:Gingivitis / Q000453:epidemiology; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006299:Health Services for the Aged; D006782:Hospitals, Special; D006801:Humans; D007575:Jaw, Edentulous / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D014076:Tooth Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*