title: Oral findings and health status among hospitalized patients with physical disabilities, aged 60 or above.
abstract: The purpose of the study was to determine oral health status and the prevalence of oral mucosal lesions among hospitalized elderly patients with physical disabilities. The study group consisted of 111 (43 male and 68 female) elderly patients with physical disabilities. Clinical examination and interview methods were employed. Clinical examination revealed that 45.9% of the elderly patients had one or more oral mucosal lesions. Xerostomia (58.6%), coated-hairy tongue (54.1%) and halitosis (46.8%) were the most frequently encountered oral findings and mucosal lesions. As the most interesting finding discovered in elderly patients, macroglossia (30.6%) seems to depend on physical disability. Coated or hairy tongue was commonly related to poor oral hygiene, with both crude odds ratio (OR) of 3.25 (95% CI: 1.26-8.36) (P=0.021) and the logistic regression OR of 3.36 (95% CI: 1.21-9.33) (P=0.020). Halitosis and bruxism were commonly related to dentate patients [logistic regression OR of 0.29 (95% CI: 1.12-0.74) (P=0.009) and 0.21 (95% CI: 0.06-0.74) (P=0.016); respectively]. Increase in dental problems may have negative impacts on chewing, nutrition, aesthetics and phonation in elderly patients. It is particularly noteworthy that physical disability in elderly patients limits their ability to effectively follow oral hygiene procedures.
authors.affiliation: Hacettepe University, Faculty of Dentistry, Department of Oral Diagnosis and Radiology, Sihhiye, 06100 Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Nihal
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Avcu
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ozbek
authors.forename: Demet
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kurtoglu
authors.forename: Ercan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kurtoglu
authors.forename: Ozden
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kansu
authors.forename: Hilmi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kansu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009909:Oral Health; D012044:Regression Analysis; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology