Oral health status of institutionalized older adults receiving domiciliary dental care: A cross‐sectional retrospective study

Aim This study aimed to evaluate the oral health of care‐dependent institutionalized older adults receiving domiciliary dental care. Methods and Results Dental health records of institutionalized adults receiving regular domiciliary dental care were examined (observation period: 5 years). Relevant demographic and oral health information were extracted. Statistical analyses included descriptive and non‐parametric tests (α = .05). Records of 398 nursing home residents (mean‐age: 84.9 ± 6.4 years) were included. Average time spent by the residents in the institution was 2.8 ± 1.5 years. The mean number of teeth present and the overall DMF‐T score was 14.7 ± 9.1 and 27.4 ± 6.2, respectively. The DMF‐T score increased until the 3‐year recall, with a significant increase in the number of decayed teeth (2‐year: p = .013; 3‐year: p = .010). An improvement in the residents’ periodontal health was seen during the observation period but was not statistically significant. Conclusion The findings of this cross‐sectional study confirmed that regular domiciliary dental care provision to institutionalized older adults helps maintain gingival and periodontal health. However, the incidence of dental caries might still be a problem that needs to be addressed with effective measures that improve the daily oral care provision to these older adults.