Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the oral health status and oral health behavior according to periodontal disease in the elderly.
Methods: The data of 7th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2016-2018) were u...
Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the oral health status and oral health behavior according to periodontal disease in the elderly.
Methods: The data of 7th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2016-2018) were used. Final study subjects were 2,981 elderly aged 65 or more. The periodontal disease was assessed by oral health examination data. The Oral health status (such as subjective oral health status, toothache) and oral health behaviors (such as tooth brush, oral health examination) were assessed by health interview data. Analysis methods used descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and logistic regression analyses. The SPSS statistics program was used and the statistical significance level was tested at p<0.05.
Results: Overall prevalence of periodontal disease was 47.5% in Korean elderly. The risk of toothache was significantly higher in elderly with periodontal disease than those without it (aOR=1.46, 95%CI=1.20-1.77). Chewing discomfort was significantly higher in elderly with periodontal disease compared to those without it (aOR=1.21, 95%CI=1.01-1.44). When using oral hygiene products, the odds ratio of those with periodontal disease was significantly lower than those without periodontal disease (aOR=0.74, 95%CI=0.60-0.91).
Conclusion: The prevalence of periodontal disease in the elderly in Korea was 47.5%. In the elderly with periodontal disease, toothache and chewing discomfort were high, and oral hygiene products were used low. The results of this study may be used for the management of periodontal diseases, and it is necessary to confirm this association through prospective studies.