Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of dental and oral mucosal lesions in institutionalised elderly people in Rasht.
Background: Oral health in the elderly people is important to tailor the health programmes for this increasing age group within the population.
Methods: A total of 216 elderly people residing in a geriatric nursing home were included in the study. Subjects were interviewed and examined clinically and registered in a data collection form and analysed using spss version 11 program (SPSS Inc, Chicago, Illinois, USA).
Results: The prevalence of dental and oral disorders was 44.9% and 86.1% respectively. The most frequent oral disorders were dry mouth (42.1%), fissure tongue (25.9%), atrophic of tongue (25%), sublingual varicosity (22.7%), burning sensation (16.7%) and varix (15.3%). The prevalence of edentulousness was 56% (95%CI: 49-63%). The mean level of retained teeth was 3.22. The odds of an oral mucosal disorder in females were significantly more than in males (OR = 2.79, 95%CI: 1.25-6.23).
Discussion: The findings revealed a high prevalence of dental and oral disorders in institutionalised elderly people in Rasht in comparison to similar studies. The mean of retained teeth was also much lower than in other reports. Therefore, the necessity for regular oral examination of these rapidly expanding age groups of people is essential.