The purpose of this study was to understand the oral health condition of institutionalized elderly people resident in free asylum for the old through oral examination(DMFT index, CPITN index, biological denture need, oral hygiene condition and degree of calculus accumulation and the number of remaining teeth),
and to evaluate elderly´ s subjective masticatory dysfunction and communication ? social relation dysfunction by questionnaires. The other purpose was to examine the relationship between these dysfunctions and oral health condition. One stage cluster sampling was applied to the subjects of 418 elderly people aged more than 65 in 10 sample clusters from 86 nationwide free asylums for the old. Oral examination and questionnaire survey were performed and the main findings are as follows;
1. DMFT index and DMFS index increased as the elderly were older, while the average number of
remaining teeth and functioning teeth declined.
2. The proportion of people wearing upper full denture was 23.5%, lower full denture was 17.8%, upper partial denture was 9.0%, and lower partial denture was 11.4%. The total number of people wearing denture represented 29.5%. However, 54.3% were still in the need of denture. Thirty-one percent of the surveyed needed upper full denture, while 27.2% needed lower full denture.
3. The average of masticatory dysfunction index was significantly different between the groups aged 80 years or older and from 65 to 69(p (0.05). And the figures for the index was significantly high in
fedentulous group without denture compared to the other groups(p (0.001), communication ? social
relation dysfunction as well.
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4. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the mastirntory dysfunction and communication/social relation dysfunction had statistically significant correlation with peanut biting capability and the total number of posterior teeth(p (0.05), and peanut biting capacity and DMFT index(p (0.05), respectively.
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