title: Assessment of oral hygiene in adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the research was to assess the oral hygiene habits in the elderly group of study population of Southern Poland.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted in dental services in two selected cities in Southern Poland. The group of subjects consisted of 664 respondents (272 men, 392 women) aged 65 to 81 years. Oral hygiene was measured with the author's anonymous questionnaire consisting of twenty questions. Questions related to information on personal history and general health, comorbidities, dietary habits, alcohol consumption, smoking, taking drugs and the state of oral hygiene practices as frequency of visits to the dentist and the number of own teeth.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority of the subjects had higher n=240 (36.1%) and secondary n=219 (33%) education and were predominantly n=590 (89%) professionally inactive (retirees or pensioners). No significant differences were found between the groups: women and men. But there were differences in technologies used, the examined men significantly often used computer in comparison with the women's group. In total, 19.6% had own natural teeth only, 45.0% own teeth and dentures, 30.0% dentures only, and 5.4% neither teeth nor dentures. Majority of subjects brush their teeth or dentures only 1-2 times a day (80%) and visit the dentist less than once in 2 years or once a year (75%). Women significantly more often stated use of a toothbrush and taking care of oral hygiene and compared to men, they declared higher number of own teeth.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  People aged over 65 neglect hygiene and oral care. Women pay more attention to oral hygiene and they have more own teeth than men. The most frequent cause of oral hygiene neglect in the elderly could be gender, the socio-economic conditions, behaviour habits and lack of sufficient health education. The dentist may need to consult with the patient's GP the development of the appropriate personalised treatment plan for the elderly. Young dentists need to be educated in order to provide appropriate dental care to the elderly.
authors.affiliation: Family Dental Service-Multident, Mikołów, Poland.
authors.forename: Wojciech
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Skorupka
authors.forename: Karolina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zurek
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kokot
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nowakowska-Zajdel
authors.forename: Edyta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fatyga
authors.forename: Elzbieta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Niedworok
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muc-Wierzgoń
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D015897:Comorbidity; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D057220:Health Literacy; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009909:Oral Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009910:Oral Hygiene / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011044:Poland; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors