The aim of the retrospective analysis of the medical documentation of 101 patients was to assess the incidence, etiology, and type of craniofacial fractures in the elderly population of southern Poland, who required specialist treatment at the Department of Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland, in the period 2010–2019. Patients were divided into 3 age groups: 65–74, 75–84, and 85 and older. The following was noted: age, sex, place of residence, education, cause and location of fracture, treatment, injuries and comorbidities, complications, alcohol and other drugs at the time of injury, and the period of hospitalization. The dominant group were patients aged 65–74 (72.28%), mainly males (56.44%). The main cause was fall (47.52%). The fractures involved mainly the mandible and the zygomaticomaxillary complex. Over half of patients (50.50%) lived in the countryside or small towns. Work tool-related accidents prevailed among geriatric patients living in small towns and rural areas. Craniofacial fractures were additionally accompanied by common complications regarding the organ of vision. Further studies analyzing factors leading to increased risk of craniofacial injuries in the elderly of the rural population will enable proper support programs, prophylaxis, and principles concerning agricultural activities.

Demographic ageing is a global growing process and the quality of ageing is an important parameter in this process. The aim of the study was to analyse the distribution of remaining dentition in relation to oral hygiene indicators among elderly people remaining in institutional care and those who participated in a 3-month rehabilitation program, aimed at increasing time of independent functioning, in southern Poland. The patients underwent a questionnaire and clinical examination. An analysis of missing teeth was performed, plaque index, and gingival index were measured. Residents of the Municipal Health Centre for Older and Dependent People (n = 50) had a higher incidence of missing teeth in the maxilla (88.4%), mandible (77.6%), as well as in the maxilla and mandible combined (83%) than residents of the Daily Medical Care House (n = 30). The distribution of the remaining teeth, in both groups, corresponds to the outlets of the large salivary glands. The group of 53.8% of patients with dry mouth had PI scored 3. Residents with dry mouth were more likely to have plaque deposits and gingival inflammation. It is necessary to develop and implement an oral care program for patients with reduced saliva secretion, with a particular focus on dependents.

No abstract

Starzenie się społeczeństwa jest procesem globalnym i przybierającym na sile, a jakość starzenia się jest istotnym parametrem tego procesu. Prognozuje się, że w latach 2015-2050 dojdzie do podwojenia odsetka ludzi w wieku starszym. Celem pracy była analiza piśmiennictwa dotycząca zachowań dyskryminacyjnych ze względu na wiek tzw. ageizm, ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem zachowań w obrębie ochrony zdrowia, w tym również lekarzy dentystów. Ageizm może być ważnym czynnikiem wpływającym na zdrowie i samopoczucie osób starszych, co powinno być brane pod uwagę przy opracowywaniu strategii wspierania zdrowszego i szczęśliwszego starzenia się. W badaniu ankietowym populacji Polskiej wykazano, że 26% uczestników powyżej 65. roku życia uważa grupę swoich rówieśników za dyskryminowaną, a 8% było świadkami dyskryminacji. Podkreśla się, że niechęć do ludzi starszych i ich dyskryminacja w placówkach medycznych jest częściej obserwowana w sytuacjach presji czasowej i niedoboru personelu medycznego. Starsi ludzie coraz częściej zachowują naturalne uzębienie, w związku z tym rośnie zapotrzebowanie na przeszkolonych lekarzy zajmujących się kompleksową opieką nad pacjentami w starszym wieku. Pomimo to wskazuje się, że sama poprawa wiedzy na temat procesu starzenia nie zmienia postawy wobec pacjentów seniorów. Po analizie piśmiennictwa należy zauważyć znikomą ilość badań poświęconych tematyce ageizmu prowadzonych poza USA. Badania prowadzone w dziedzinie stomatologii odnoszące się do tej tematyki najczęściej ograniczane są do badania postaw studentów. Obecny czas pandemii COVID-19 uwypuklił nieprawidłowe zachowania obarczone ageizmem.

The purpose of this article was to evaluate reported oral and mucosal complaints among seniors residing in institutionalized 24-h care of the Municipal Center for Older and Dependent People (MHCOD) and the 3-month rehabilitation program of the Daily Medical Care House (DMCH). We evaluated the feasibility of using the dental mirror slidding test to assess dry mouth of seniors. Patients underwent a questionnaire, and clinical examination. The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was used to assess pain, Fox’s questionnaire and Challacombe’s scale with Clinical Oral Dryness Score to assess dryness of the mouth, dental mirror slidding test to assess buccal mucosal resistance. Dryness, mucosal burning, impaired taste, food intake are symptoms associated with seniors, and their frequency does not depend on the type of care. The incidence of mucosal burning (Mdn = 4.0, IQR = 4.75, p = 0.032) and difficulty in using dental prosthetics (Mdn = 3.0, IQR = 4.00, p = 0.010) increase with the length of stay at MHCOD. Seniors are at risk of side effects of polypharmacy, which cause dryness (p = 0.036), complaints of lack of saliva (p = 0.009)and taste disorders (p = 0.041. Seniors with higher levels of dry mouth are more likely to exhibit mucosal burning (p = 0.026) and difficulty in taking food (p = 0.037). The implementation of the dental mirror slidding test in the scope of the primary care of geriatric examination should be discussed.