Relationship between gerotranscendence and oral health-related quality of life

Correlation between gerotranscendence and oral health-related quality of life among elderly population in Davanagere city: A cross-sectional survey

Aim

To assess the relationship between oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) and gerotranscendence among elderly subjects in Davangere city.

Settings and Design

Field Setting and cross-sectional survey design.

Materials and Methods

Study involved a stratified sample of 400 elderly population aged 60 years and above. Data related to demographic details, systemic and oral health related factors, nutritional status, gerotranscendence level and geriatric oral health related quality of life of study participants was recorded using study proforma, Mini Nutritional Scale Assessment- Short form (MNA-SF) index, Gerotranscendence Scale Type 2 (GST2) questionnaire and GOHAI questionnaire respectively.

Statistical Analysis Used

Significance level was fixed at P < 0.05. Chi-square, Pearson's/Spearman's correlation and Multiple linear regression tests were used for analysis.

Results

Participants had good oral health related quality of life (mean GOHAI - 41.33±10.8) and moderate level of gerotranscendence (GST2- 19.5 ± 8.7). The gerotranscendence scores were significantly (P<0.05) negatively correlated with socioeconomic status (r = -0.19), education (r = -0.55), self-perceived oral health (r = -0.43), nutritional status (r = -0.64), GOHAI (r = -0.17), utilization of dental services (r = -0.26) and marital status (r = -0.39) and were significantly (P < 0.05) positively correlated with age (r = 0.77), systemic problems (r = 0.49), number of missing teeth (r = 0.57), self-perceived need for treatment (r = 0.24), and pan chewing (r = 0.62). Gerotranscendence was not a significant predictor of GOHAI (P = 0.43).

Conclusion

Gerotranscendence was negatively correlated with oral health related quality of life among elderly population in Davanagere city.

Associations between Oral Hypofunction Tests, Age, and Sex

Oral function declines in older individuals due to disease and age-related changes, making them vulnerable to oral and physical frailty. Therefore, it is important to manage the decline in oral function in older outpatients. Oral hypofunction is diagnosed by seven tests related to oral function, oral hygiene, oral moisture, occlusal force, oral diadochokinesis, tongue pressure, masticatory function, and swallowing function. However, sex or age were not factored into the current reference values of these tests. We included subjects attending the dental hospital clinic for maintenance, and recorded and analyzed oral hypofunction and the factors associated with its diagnosis. Of the 134 outpatients (53 males and 81 females, mean age 75.2 ± 11.2 years), 63% were diagnosed with oral hypofunction. Oral hypofunction prevalence increased significantly with age, and significant variations were observed in all tests. Furthermore, oral hygiene and swallowing function were not associated with oral hypofunction diagnosis. All examined factors decreased with increasing age, even after adjusting sex, except for oral hygiene and moisture. Occlusal force and masticatory function were higher in men after adjusting age. This study suggested that older outpatients were likely to be diagnosed with oral hypofunction, and that the test reference value and their selection for oral hypofunction should be reconsidered.

Six-year follow-up assessment of prosthesis survival and oral health-related quality of life in individuals with partial edentulism treated with three types of prosthodontic rehabilitation

Purpose The purpose of the study was to compare the long-term performance of three prostheses for partial edentulism: implant-supported, fixed denture (IFD), fixed partial denture (FPD), and removable partial denture (RPD), in terms of prosthesis survival and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL).Methods The 138 patients in our previous study (Kimura et al., 2012) received one of the three prosthetic treatments and answered a validated OHRQoL questionnaire before and immediately after treatment. In the present study, the patients were followed up six years after treatment using medical records and OHRQoL examinations to evaluate prosthesis survival and change in OHRQoL. The cumulative survival rates were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier analysis. The Steel-Dwass test was used to compare the median OHRQoL scores at the three time points.Results For the 105 patients (66.8 ± 10.8 years, IFD/FPD/RPD: 58/27/20 patients) who successfully completed the follow-up assessments, the six-year estimated cumulative survival rates of the IFDs, FPDs, and RPDs were 94.7%, 77.4%, and 33.3%, respectively. The log-rank tests indicated that the survival curves were significantly different (IFDs vs. FPDs: p = 0.01; RPDs vs. IFDs, FPDs: p < 0.01). The median OHRQoL scores of the IFD group immediately after treatment and six years after treatment were significantly higher than those observed before treatment (p < 0.01). There was no significant difference in the median OHRQoL scores among the three time points in the RPD or FPD groups.Conclusions IFDs showed significantly longer survival rates than FPDs and RPDs in partially edentulous patients. Only in the IFD patients was the OHRQoL level six years after treatment significantly higher than that before treatment.

The Influence of Oral Health Factors on the Quality of Life in Older People: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

The number of people aged 65 years or older is growing substantially. As a result of increased health burden and tooth retention, more oral health problems are expected in this age group. A poor oral health-related quality of life (OHQoL) can compromise a person's psychological state, social relationships, personal beliefs, and physical health. The aim of this systematic review was to identify oral health factors associated with OHQoL in people aged 65 years or older and to give a comprehensive overview of the body of literature for each oral health factor separately.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

A comprehensive search was performed in five databases. The following terms were used as index terms or free-text words: "Oral Health," "Quality of Life," "Older People." Two researchers independently assessed studies for eligibility based on predefined criteria.

RESULTS

Of 3,702 references retrieved from the databases, 68 studies were eligible and included (9 randomized clinical trials, 6 cohort studies, and 53 cross-sectional studies). All results were reported descriptively. OHQoL in people aged 65 years or older is positively associated with higher number of teeth, higher number of occluding pairs, implant-retained overdentures, and the shortened dental arch concept and negatively associated with xerostomia, orofacial pain, and poor chewing ability. In the current literature, there is no consensus on the association between edentulism, caries, and periodontal conditions and OHQoL.

DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS

Having a functional dentition (either natural or prosthetic) is important for a good OHQoL, whereas painful or functional complaints are associated with impaired OHQoL.