Dental Prosthetic Status, Needs, and Oral Frailty in Egyptian Aging Population

Mahdy, R.A.A.; Abdel-Gawwad, E.A.; Fayad, M.I.; Mohammed, S.G.

doi:10.58209/hehp.14.1.147

Dental Prosthetic Status, Needs, and Oral Frailty in Egyptian Aging Population

Document Type : Descriptive & Survey

Authors

R.A.A. Mahdy ¹

E.A. Abdel-Gawwad ²

M.I. Fayad ³

S.G. Mohammed ¹

¹ Department of Gerontological Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt

² Department of Removable Prosthodontics, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt

³ Department of Substitutive Dental Science, College of Dentistry, Taibah University, Madinah, Saudi Arabia

10.58209/hehp.14.1.147

Abstract

Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the current status of dental prosthetics, identify prosthetic needs, and assess the prevalence of oral frailty within the geriatric population in Egypt.
Instrument & Methods: The cross-sectional study recruited 258 community-dwelling adults aged 60 years or older from residential homes in Al-Sharkia Governorate, Egypt. Collected data included demographic information, medical history, oral hygiene, prosthetic status and needs, and scores on the Oral Frailty Index-8 (OFI-8). Chi-square tests, t-tests, and multinomial logistic regression were utilized to evaluate the associations among prosthetic status, prosthetic needs, and oral frailty.
Findings: A high percentage of participants (79.8%) were at elevated risk for oral frailty, with chronic diseases (72.5%) and past tooth extractions (94.6%) being prevalent. Oral examination revealed common issues such as gingival inflammation (50.8%) and temporomandibular joint pain (58.1%), while prosthetic needs varied, with many requiring single or multiple-unit prostheses. Key risk factors identified included illiteracy, temporomandibular joint pain, and mandibular prosthetic needs, underscoring the multifactorial nature of oral frailty.
Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of oral frailty and substantial unmet prosthetic needs among older adults in Egypt.

Keywords

Geriatric Dentistry

Elderly

Oral Health

Prostheses

Subjects

Oral Health Education/Promotion

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