Oral health of the elderly with Alzheimer's disease

• Published in: Oral surgery, oral medicine, oral pathology and oral radiology Vol. 114; no. 3; pp. 338 - 343
• Main Authors: Ribeiro, Giselle Rodrigues, Costa, José Luiz Riani, Bovi Ambrosano, Glaucia Maria, Rodrigues Garcia, Renata Cunha Matheus
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Mosby, Inc 01.09.2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Aged; Alzheimer Disease - complications; Attitude to Health; Biofilms; Biological and medical sciences; Cross-Sectional Studies; Degenerative and inherited degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Leukodystrophies. Prion diseases; Dental Calculus - complications; Dental Occlusion; Dental Plaque - complications; Dentition; Denture Retention; Denture, Complete; Denture, Partial, Removable; DMF Index; Educational Status; Facial bones, jaws, teeth, parodontium: diseases, semeiology; Female; Geriatric Assessment; Humans; Income; Male; Medical sciences; Mouth Diseases - complications; Neurology; Non tumoral diseases; Oral Health; Oral Hygiene Index; Organic mental disorders. Neuropsychology; Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Self Concept; Stomatitis, Denture - complications; Surgery; Tooth Diseases - complications; Human; Oral cavity; Nervous system diseases; Stomatology; Alzheimer disease; Bucco-dental health; Central nervous system disease; Dental disease; Degenerative disease; Elderly; Cerebral disorder
• ISSN: 2212-4403; 2212-4411; 2212-4411
• DOI: 10.1016/j.oooo.2012.03.028

The objective of this study was to describe the oral health of elderly people diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Thirty elderly subjects with AD (mild, moderate, and severe) and 30 without AD (controls) were included in the study. Volunteer-reported oral health data were collected using the General Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI). Demographic and oral characteristics were assessed, including the number of natural teeth; number of decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMTF); oral health index (OHI); removable prosthesis conditions; and oral pathologies. GOHAI values were similar for both groups. Compared with the controls, the subjects with AD had a higher age, DMTF, OHI, and number of oral pathologies and a lower educational level and number of natural teeth. Elderly subjects with AD had poorer oral health than those without the disease. Despite the positive self-perception of their oral health, the oral health of subjects with AD tended to decline as their disease progressed.