Dental prosthetic status and prosthetic needs of the institutionalized elderly living in geriatric homes in Hyderabad: a pilot study.

INTRODUCTION To promote oral health among the elderly, we need to know their prosthetic status and prosthetic need. Hence, a survey of prosthetic status and need of elderly inmates of geriatric homes in Hyderabad was done. MATERIALS AND METHODS A cross-sectional study was undertaken, and 174 subjects aged 60 years and above were examined of which 103 were male and 71 were female (59.2% males and 40.8% females). The oral examination of the study subjects was carried out using basic oral health surveys, WHO 1997 criteria. RESULTS Majority of the subjects, 73 (70.8%) males and 53 (74.6%) females had no prosthesis. Only 4.6% had complete dentures and 21.1% had removable partial dentures and 10.9% had single/multiple bridges. Need for any prosthesis was (83.5%) male and 63 (88.7%) female subjects and nearly 82. 8% subjects required one-unit prosthesis. CONCLUSION Dental prosthetic status of people living in geriatric homes is very poor and there is high unmet need for prosthetic care existed among the institutionalized elderly surveyed.