title: Factors associated with missing teeth in the Brazilian elderly institutionalised population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Identify factors associated with missing teeth in the elderly institutionalised population in Brazil.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study of elderly institutionalised Brazilians with 1192 subjects. A questionnaire was applied as well as an epidemiological survey of oral health conditions in accordance with WHO. Factorial analysis was carried out with variables related to missing teeth, as well as the Fisher's exact test, chi-squared test and multiple logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean age was 76.3 (± 9.8), 53.5% (638) of subjects were women and 717 (60.2) were dependent. Mean of Decayed Missing and Filled Teeth Index (DMFT index) was 29.4 (± 4.9). The subjects that did not use upper and lower dentures were 61.5% (732) and 79.2% (944), respectively. Median number of missing teeth per person was 27.88 (± 6.8) with a mean of 4 (± 6.6) teeth present and 2.4 (± 4.5) caries-free teeth. Factors associated with missing teeth following multivariate analysis were: age, sex, self-assessment of oral health, access to health services, type of institution and area of the country.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High level of tooth loss and low level of rehabilitation demonstrate precarious oral health. It is therefore necessary to improve institutional access mechanisms to public health facilities for the institutionalised elderly.
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Health Sciences Program, Department of Collective Health, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte UFRN, Parnamirim, RN 59151-600, Brazil. gpiuvezam@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: Grasiela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Piuvezam
authors.forename: Kenio Costa
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: de Lima
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004245:DMF Index; D003729:Dental Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003826:Denture, Complete, Lower / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003827:Denture, Complete, Upper / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007326:Institutionalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007576:Jaw, Edentulous, Partially / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D012737:Sex Factors; D014081:Tooth Extraction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016388:Tooth Loss / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014504:Urban Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data