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Assessment of oral health status and treatment needs of elders associated with elders' homes of Ambala division, Haryana, India.

OBJECTIVE
To determine the oral health status and treatment needs of subjects aged 60 years and above.


BACKGROUND
The average life span in most parts of the world continues to increase. In the coming decades, dental practitioners will face the challenge of providing dental care for a growing number of elders who retain more natural teeth.


MATERIALS AND METHODS
The study was conducted in 10 elders' homes of Ambala division on subjects 60 years or older. Modified WHO format (1997) was used. All the subjects present in the elders' home on the day of examination were included. One hundred and fifty-two subjects were examined.


RESULTS
Around half (47.4 %) of the subjects had no functional teeth. Among the rest of the subjects, 26.9% subjects did not use any oral hygiene measure. 19.1% subjects reported wearing a denture. 36.8% subjects had not visited a dentist ever in their life. 28.7% subjects were suffering from pain. The mean number of decayed teeth per subject was 3.66. Maximum subjects had a Community Periodontal Index score of 2.


CONCLUSION
Education regarding maintenance of oral hygiene and regular dental check up should be stressed for the elders. Dental care, especially prosthetic care, should be focused upon.