Oral health of homebound older adults followed by primary care: a cross sectional study

Abstract

Objective to characterize the life, health, and oral health conditions of homebound older people registered in the primary care teams and oral homecare provided. Method cross-sectional, household based study with a convenience sample, in Florianópolis, southern Brazil. Data collection through a questionnaire and clinical oral examination which included sociodemographic variables, condition of teeth and mucosa, oral hygiene, access to dental care and dentist providing homecare. Absolute and relative frequency analysis and bivariate analysis (chi-square, CI=95%) were performed. Results 123 older people participated with mean age of 81.3 years, 62.6% were women. Living with a caregiver were 87%, 60% were domiciled for up to 5 years, and 89.4% were frail. Regarding the presence of teeth, 56.1% were edentulous and 40.5% had from 1 to 8 teeth. Root remains were observed in 12.8%, untreated caries lesions in 25.2%, visible biofilm in 69.9%, tooth mobility in 57.7% and mucosal lesions in 8.9% of the elders; 45.5% needed help with oral hygiene and 24.4% did not perform daily mouth cleaning. The difficulty in accessing dental care due to homeboundness was reported by 32.5% and home visits provided by the dentist occurred in only 16.3%. Conclusion the oral health of the older adults studied is poor due to the presence of oral problems that require intervention. There is dependence on third parties for oral care, which is not consistently guaranteed at home. The study points to the need for dental homecare provided by public health services.