RESUMO
To describe the rationale, design and methodology of a geographically-representative and population-based study investigating the epidemiology, impact, personal and economic burden of age-related eye diseases, declining visual and other sensory systems in Asians aged >60 years in Singapore.PIONEER (The PopulatION HEalth and Eye Disease PRofilE in Elderly Singaporeans Study) is currently a cross-sectional study targeting 3152 Chinese, Malay and Indian adults who are Singapore citizens or permanent residents aged 60 years and older living across Singapore. The study is intended to be longitudinal, with several waves of data planned to be collected in the future. The sampling frame consisted of 7000 names derived from age, gender and ethnicity-stratified random sampling of individuals >60 years. Selected individuals were invited via letters, home visits, and telephone calls for a clinical assessment at the Singapore Eye Research Institute. Individuals with limited mobility were examined in a custom-designed mobile eye clinic. Questionnaires were subsequently administered at participants' homes by trained interviewers in their preferred language. A total of 3,299 participants (from East, West, North and South Singapore) were approached from December 2017 to November 2019. Of these, 953 (28.5%) were deemed ineligible. Out of 2,346 eligible participants, 904 (38.5%) refused, and 1,442 (61.5%) attended our clinical testing protocol, giving an initial response rate of 61.5%. Of these, 1,170 (81%) were cognitively able to complete the questionnaire assessment. The mean age±SD of our participants was 73.8±8.6 years; n=798 (55.3%) were female; and 828 (57.4%) were of Chinese ethnicity. The findings from this study will allow a deeper understanding of the risk factors and impact of aging in Asian populations, particularly in relation to the visual function and other functional system.
RESUMO
The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the probability of success and survival as well as the incidences of specific biological and technical complications associated with fixed partial dentures (FPDs). All patients fitted with FPDs at the National Dental Center, Singapore, in the previous 5-8 years were identified through electronic records and contacted to return for a clinical examination by a prosthodontist. Eighty-five patients with a total of 99 FPDs were examined, and a satisfaction survey was also conducted. Fifty-eight (58.6%) of the FPDs were successes requiring no intervention. Thirty-two (32.3%) remained in situ but suffered some complications, while nine (9.1%) were deemed failures as they had to be removed. Of the 32 complications, one (1%) showed increased mobility due to progressive periodontitis, four (4%) had lost vitality, two (2%) required recementation, two (2%) showed recurrent caries, and 23 (23.2%) exhibited partial ceramic fractures. The 5-year probability of success was between 62.5% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 52.7, 71.2) and 68% (95% CI: 59.5, 76.0), while the 5-year probability of survival was 92.3% (95% CI: 86.5, 96.6). The incidence of caries was 5.8% (95% CI: 2.5, 11.8), and the 5-year risk for loss of abutment vitality was 4.4% (95% CI: 1.5, 9.5). FPDs with non-vital abutments and those of a longer span (5 or more units) were more likely to suffer a complication or failure.
