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Oral health needs, dental care utilization, and quality of life perceptions among Oregonian seniors
Author(s) -
Kohli Richie,
Sehgal Harjit S.,
Nelson Sandra,
Schwarz Eli
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
special care in dentistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.328
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1754-4505
pISSN - 0275-1879
DOI - 10.1111/scd.12221
Subject(s) - medicine , quality of life (healthcare) , oral health , dental insurance , family medicine , population , gerontology , cross sectional study , nursing , environmental health , pathology
Background For a relevant planning process and advocate for improvement in oral health conditions of the senior population up‐to‐date data are necessary. The objective of this study was to assess the oral health status, dental care utilization and quality of life perceptions of seniors in Clackamas County in Oregon. Methods Data were collected in a cross‐sectional study on institutionalized and community dwelling older adults where participants completed a self‐reported oral health survey, the short‐form Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP‐14 questionnaire) and had clinical screenings. Results Overall, the participants (n = 177) reported mean OHIP‐14 score of 0.6 ± 1.1, with “physical pain” as the highest scored domain. Seniors who were white, had teeth, dental insurance, were having a regular dentist and living in the community were 4.2 to 33.1 times more likely to visit the dentist in the previous 12 months compared to those respondents who were nonwhite, edentulous, uninsured, not having a regular dentist and living in long‐term care facility (r 2 = 0.67, p < 0.05). Conclusion Clackamas county senior population has considerable oral health needs, dental utilization, and quality of life issues. Better dental insurance plans, health literacy opportunities and culturally competent dental providers may help to improve the oral health situation and reduce barriers.