Oral hygiene and periodontal disease in Victorian nursing homes

Objective: To investigate oral hygiene and periodontal disease in residents of Victoria nursing homes. Background: The Australian population is ageing with a growing proportion of elderly Australians living in nursing homes. With declining edentulism rates, periodontal disease is becoming more prevalent in this population. Materials and methods: A total of 275 dentate residents from 31 Victorian nursing homes had a questionnaire and clinical examination using the Visual Plaque Index and a modified Community Periodontal Index. Results: Self-reported oral hygiene habits of residents were poor, with less than one-third of residents cleaning their teeth twice daily or more. Periodontal health was found to be extremely poor, and the prevalence of 4 mm+ periodontal pockets was 35.6%, with 10.2% having 6 mm+ pockets. Logistic regression found that age, gender, number of teeth present and oral hygiene were all strongly associated with the prevalence of 4 mm+ periodontal pockets. Conclusion: Poor oral hygiene and the presence of significant plaque and calculus were common findings in this study. Periodontal diseases are a significant problem for residents in nursing homes. Addressing this health issue will require improved training for carers and better access to appropriate dental services.