Oral health behaviour and socio-demographic profile of subjects with Alzheimer's disease as reported by their family caregivers.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the oral health care provided to subjects with Alzheimer's disease (AD) as reported by their family caregivers.


METHODS
Structured interviews were performed with 56 Alzheimer caregivers from the Group of relatives and friends of subjects with AD of the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre. Spearman and Pearson correlations were performed.


RESULTS
The mean age of the subjects with AD was 76.09 (+/-7.76) years, 53.6% were female and 58.9% were in the advanced stage of AD. The mean number of teeth present was 11.66 (+/-10.94), and oral hygiene was performed 2.21 (+/-1.04) times/day. The provision of oral health care to subjects with AD was carried out by caregivers in 85.7%. Oral hygiene was provided by the caregivers to the subjects with AD with the aid of a toothbrush and/or gauze embedded with non-fluoridated mouthwash in the majority of the cases. Complete dental prostheses were cleaned with the aid of mouthwashes instead of denture brushes by 44% of the subjects/caregivers. There was a significant association between the number of teeth in the subjects with AD and the number of oral hygiene procedures performed per day and current smoking.


CONCLUSIONS
Oral health care planning for subjects with AD should take into account caregivers' perceptions and knowledge about oral health and hygiene as caregivers represent the primary providers to these patients when the disease progresses from early to more advanced stages.
Hugo
Fernando Neves
FN
Department of Physiological Sciences, School of Dentistry of Piracicaba, State University of Campinas, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil. fnhugo@yahoo.com.br
Hilgert
Juliana Balbinot
JB
Bertuzzi
Daniel
D
Padilha
Dalva Maria Pereira
DM
De Marchi
Renato José
RJ
D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D017028:Caregivers; D003730:Dental Care for Persons with Disabilities; D003820:Denture Cleansers / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007575:Jaw, Edentulous / Q000145:classification; D008297:Male; D009067:Mouthwashes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009909:Oral Health; D009910:Oral Hygiene; D012648:Self Care; D012907:Smoking; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014099:Toothbrushing
D003820:Denture Cleansers; D009067:Mouthwashes