Summary
Aging is a gradual and adaptive process that entails a series of changes, leading to reduced functional and physiological capacity. Each elderly person presents heterogeneous health conditions that must be considered by the interdisciplinary team responsible for their functional maintenance and overall health. This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted on elderly individuals with deficient removable dental prostheses, treated at the dental prosthetic rehabilitation centre of Hospital Del Salvador, in Santiago de Chile between the years 2021 and 2023. Instruments and indices were used to record and measure muscular conditions, such as the hand grip strength measurements, the Timed Up and Go test, and the calf circumference measurement. Information on educational levels, geriatric syndromes, chronic diseases, and medication consumption was collected. Of the participants, 58.9 % were female, and 41.1 % were male, with a mean age of 84.2 years for males and 80.4 years for females. 20.8 % had access to higher education, and 22.6 % lived alone. 78.5 % had lost all posterior support zones. 81.5 % had visual impairments; 36.3 % had auditory impairments, and 31.5 % had experienced one or more falls in the last 6 months. The mean sum of medications consumed per person was 4.32. The most prevalent morbidities were arterial hypertension (66.4 %) and type II diabetes (32.7 %). Means values for male/ female were: Hand Grip Strength 27.84 Kg/17.99 kg, Timed Up and Go 14.3 sec/14.9sec, BMI 27.16/ 26.44, and calf circumference 35.5 cm /35.2cm, values were within the normal range of values. The data collected is important to consider when treatment planning and implementing actions aimed at maintaining oral and general functionality. These aspects should be addressed from a multidimensional perspective, including risk factors, in both the diagnosis and dental treatments.
KEY WORDS: aging, frailty, elderly, dental prostheses.
How to cite this article
BARAHONA, P.; SANTIBÁÑEZ, B.; GODOY, I.; MICHEA, A.; SAA, D.; CISTERNA, C.; FASCE, G.; SAIZ, M.; CHÁVEZ, B.; CELIS, A. Geriatric characterization of older persons with deficient removable dental prostheses. Int. J. Odontostomat., 18(1):25-32, 2024.
