A preliminary study of the periodontal status and treatment needs of elderly Nigerian subjects

ABSTRACT

One hundred elderly subjects comprising of residents of old peoples homes and patients attending routine outpatients clinic at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital were examined in Lagos. The mean age of subjects was 68.7 years. Using the Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs (CPITN) it was found that 23had tooth deposits (plaque/calculus only) whilst 70had shallow or deep pockets. 87of these elderly subjects were caries-free and none had restored or filled teeth. However; more than half of the subjects had an average missing teeth number of 8.829of the subjects needed extraction with an average of 3.3 teeth. Among the subjects that needed dental extraction; none had healthy periodontal condition whereas; 79of them were caries free