Important oral care needs of older French people: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Older persons comprise a growing proportion of the European population and may have a distinct epidemiological oral profile requiring specific preventive and curative care poorly documented. The objectives of this study were to assess the oral health status of people ≥90 years of age in France, to compare their perceived and observed oral care needs and to investigate the oral problems associated with a low oral health-related quality-of-life (OHRQoL). METHODS: An oral cross-sectional study was performed during the 25th follow-up of a cohort of older persons being followed up prospectively for screening of dementia over a 15-year period in Gironde and Dordogne, France. Clinical oral indices were determined by oral examinations conducted at the participants' place of living. Cohen's Kappa coefficient was used to assess the agreement between perceived and observed oral care needs. Oral problems associated with a low OHRQoL, measured with the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI<50) were investigated with logistic regression. Odds ratios (OR) were estimated with their 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: Data from 90 persons were analysed (76% female; median age=93 years; 20% living in an institution). Plaque and calculus were present in 93% and 58% respectively, of the 74 dentate participants. The mean number of decayed, missing, and filled teeth was 26.5 (±5.3); 66% of the participants had at least one untreated decayed tooth. Among the 85 participants with tooth loss not replaced by a fixed denture, two thirds had a removable dental prosthesis; 84% of these prostheses were considered to be maladapted. Among the 39 participants who felt unable to consult a dentist (43%), lack of transportation was the most frequently cited reason. Although 88% of the participants needed oral care, only 26% perceived that they had such a need (Kappa=0.06). Oral problems associated with a GOHAI<50 were the absence of posterior occluding teeth (OR=7.15; 95%CI=1.53-33.35; P=0.012), feeling of dry mouth (OR=11.94; 95%CI=3.21-44.39; P=0.0002) and oral pain (OR=9.06; 95%CI=1.91-69.00; P=0.033). CONCLUSIONS: Persons ≥90 years of age have considerable preventive and curative dental care needs that impact their quality-of-life but they are rarely aware and lack transportation. NCT04065828.

Outcome of CO2 laser vaporization for oral potentially malignant disorders treatment.

BACKGROUND: Oral cancer is a public health issue worldwide. Oral potentially malignant disorders (OMPDs) are lesions of the oral mucosa that are predisposed to malignant transformation. The mainstay of OMPDs treatment around the world is now the carbon dioxide (CO2) laser but the reported recurrence and malignant transformation rates vary widely in the literature. We aimed to estimate the recurrence and the malignant transformation rates of OPMDs treated with CO2 laser at the University Hospital of Bordeaux, in France, from 2010 to 2014, and to identify associated factors with recurrence or malignant transformation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study in patients with a minimum follow-up of 12 months. Collected variables included characteristics of the patients (gender, age, alcohol and tobacco consumption, previous diagnosis of graft-versus-host disease, previous treatments for OPMD or for upper aerodigestive tract cancers and human immunodeficiency virus infection), characteristics of the lesions (form, colour, size, location, degree of dysplasia), laser treatment outcome (complications, recurrence, malignant transformation). RESULTS: Twenty-five patients were included. Mean follow-up was 28.9 months. Recurrence was observed in 11 patients (44%). Annual recurrence rate was 18.3% and annual malignant transformation rate was 1.7%. Hyperplasia without dysplasia was the only factor found to be statistically associated with recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that OMPDs treated by CO2 laser vaporization have high recurrence rates, particularly those presenting hyperplasia. A standardized definition of recurrence would be necessary for inter-study comparisons. Long-term follow-up is recommended in order to detect and treat squamous cell carcinoma in its early stages.