| Research Abstract |
Subjects in this study are from several facilities, and are elderly with mild, moderate, and severe dementia. These subjects have been examined for oral state, oral care, state of dementia, physical and mental state, diet type, and nutritional state (Body Mass index, and serum albumin, etc.) for several years.
Japan is rapidly becoming an aged society, and problems of the elderly with dementia now attract attention. Elderly with dementia need help from other people for daily life. Therefore, not only the elderly person, but also the family and others are greatly affected. It can be expected that Dentistry is a large support for the situation in an aged society, to clarify the relation regarding physical, mental, and oral state for such elderly with dementia.
Dementia becomes a more severe condition with age. In the case of the elderly with mild and moderate dementia, if the elderly lacked occlusal support by present molar teeth, they tended to wear dentures. Elderly with moderate and severe dementia, without occlusal support by present molar teeth, tended to wear no dentures. Wearing dentures did not relate to the physical and mental state (N-ADL and NM scale). However, it was clear that caregivers thought about oral care in consideration of the subject's overall status. This indicated that oral care is very important for the overall care of elderly with dementia. On the other hand, in the case of elderly with moderate and severe dementia, the rate of wearing dentures was lower. Nutritional status was a concern, but it became clear that not wearing dentures did not have a large influence on nutritional status if diet type was addressed, and dietary care was performed adequately.
To maintain good nutritional status of elderly with dementia, these results indicate that cooperation with the dentist and dental staff is necessary.
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