Research On Oral Health Management For The Elderly

The oral health status of the elderly in China presents a severe situation of high morbidity and low treatment rate, and it is of great value to explore the willingness of the elderly to sign up for oral family doctor services and the factors influencing them. A cross-sectional study design was used to conduct incidental sampling of elderly patients attending our department from 2023-2024, after ethical review and approval. Data on socio-demographic characteristics and oral health status were collected through a structured electronic questionnaire, and after screening for relevant variables using the χ² test, multifactorial logistic regression analysis was used. A total of 617 valid questionnaires were returned (validity rate 97.6%). 93.7% of respondents had oral diseases, only 16.5% had regular oral checkups, and 23.7% had a willingness to sign up. Univariate analysis showed that regular oral examination (χ²=12.31, P=0.002), having received professional oral hygiene instruction (χ²=8.97, P=0.013) and oral knowledge level (χ²=6.54, P=0.028) were significantly associated with willingness to sign. Multifactorial logistic regression analysis showed that regular oral checkups for the elderly were a factor influencing the willingness to sign up for oral family doctor services (P<0.05). This study focuses on the elderly population and explores their willingness to sign up for oral family doctors and the factors affecting them, which is important for realizing the goal of lifelong oral health management for all.