Dental Prosthetic Status and Prosthetic Need of the Institutionalized Elderly Living in Geriatric Homes in Mangalore : A Pilot Study

Abstract EN

Introduction.

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 old age homes in Mangalore was done.

Materials and Methods.

A cross-sectional study was undertaken, and 133 subjects aged 60 years and above were examined (54.9% males and 45.1% females).

Results.

Eighty-eight percent of those examined were fully edentulous, and only 12% had complete dentures; none of the study subjects had partial dentures.

Prosthetic status was significantly associated with gender (P=.024), while prosthetic need and gender were not significantly associated (P=.395).

Conclusions.

A high unmet need for prosthetic care existed among the institutionalized elderly surveyed.