Oral health status of older people in residential homes in Saudi Arabia

The aim of the study was to determine the oral health status and treatment needs of elderly residents of residential homes in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods: Among 129 elderly residents, 83 (51 males, and 32 females) of them were interviewed and clinically examined according to WHO criteria by two calibrated dentists. Results: The mean age of the subjects was 72 ± 8.5. Male subjects had a higher smoking rate than females. Among elderly subjects below 74 years old, 20.8% had a functional dentition (> or = 20), while only 6.7% for those aged greater or equal to 75 years (p = 0.0004). Mean number of the sound teeth in all subjects was 6.7 ± 8.5. The mean number of DMFT was 18.6 ± 12.6. The missing component was the highest (16 ± 13) for both genders. The mean number of decayed roots was 2.75 ± 3.95 in males and 0.63 ± 1.96 in females. Overall, males had more sound and decayed teeth and less filled and missed teeth than females. There was no significant difference between males and females in periodontal problems except the calculus scores. The majority of subjects in need for tooth extraction were male subjects. With no gender difference 63% were in need for restorations, 40% needed upper and lower full dentures. Need for partial dentures was 38% upper and 48% lower. Conclusion: The oral health of the institutionalized elderly population in Saudi Arabia is generally poor and their treatment needs are high.