ABSTRACT
The objective of the study is to assess the influence of oral health in the daily routine of both institutionalized and non-institutionalized elders living in the city of Recife-PE, as well as to come to conclusions concerning the relevance level of oral health in both groups. In order to assess the perception of oral health, it was used the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI). The GOHAI levels, concerning the perception, were categorized in: low (≤ 50), average (51 to 60) and high (57 to 60). Oral health conditions were represented by the DMFT index (with cavity, lost and repaired teeth). It was observed that the percentage of elderly with a GOHAI not higher than 50 (low perception of oral health) was rather higher in the non-institutionalized group than in the institutionalized (92.2% x 64.9%). The average DMFT and the number of lost teeth were higher in the institutionalized group (96.01% x 87.87%). The perception of oral health was lower for more than half of the examined elderly population, but there being a meaningful difference between the two groups concerning the GOHAI, with lower levels for the non-institutionalized group. The result of the perception of oral health was compatible with the high number of decayed and lost teeth.