title: Dental prosthetic status and prosthetic needs of the institutionalized elderly living in geriatric homes in Hyderabad: a pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To promote oral health among the elderly, we need to know their prosthetic status and prosthetic need. Hence, a survey of prosthetic status and need of elderly inmates of geriatric homes in Hyderabad was done.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was undertaken, and 174 subjects aged 60 years and above were examined of which 103 were male and 71 were female (59.2% males and 40.8% females). The oral examination of the study subjects was carried out using basic oral health surveys, WHO 1997 criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Majority of the subjects, 73 (70.8%) males and 53 (74.6%) females had no prosthesis. Only 4.6% had complete dentures and 21.1% had removable partial dentures and 10.9% had single/multiple bridges. Need for any prosthesis was (83.5%) male and 63 (88.7%) female subjects and nearly 82. 8% subjects required one-unit prosthesis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dental prosthetic status of people living in geriatric homes is very poor and there is high unmet need for prosthetic care existed among the institutionalized elderly surveyed.
authors.affiliation: Reader, Department of Prosthodontics, Army College of Dental Sciences, Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India, e-mail: ajay_mds_prostho@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: G Ajay
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Reader, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Meghna Institute of Dental Sciences, Nizamabad, Andhra Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Maheswar
authors.affiliation: Reader, Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Army College of Dental Sciences, Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Malathi
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, SGT Dental College and Research Institute, Gurgaon, Haryana, India.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sridevi
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Carrier Postgraduate Institute of Dental Sciences, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh India.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ratnakar
authors.affiliation: Senior Lecturer, Department of Conservative Dentistry, Meghna Institute of Dental Sciences, Nizamabad, Andhra Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Someshwar
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016321:Dental Care for Aged / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017266:Dental Prosthesis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003779:Denture Design / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003824:Denture, Complete / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003830:Denture, Partial, Fixed / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003832:Denture, Partial, Removable / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006707:Homes for the Aged / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007326:Institutionalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects