Prevalence of tooth loss among geriatrics of Amachalla, Igbo-Eze North L.G.A., Enugu State, Nigeria

Abstract

Introduction Tooth loss is the loss of one tooth or more teeth due to trauma, disease, or extraction. Tooth loss, depending on the degree, may reduce speech and masticatory abilities (which in turn affects intake of nutrition), and may impair aesthetics. Purpose This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of tooth loss among geriatrics of Amachalla, Igbo-Eze North L.G.A., Enugu State, Nigeria. Materials and Methods A sample size of 200 geriatrics was selected for this study using the convenience non-probability sampling technique. Personal interview was used to collect the demographic data of the participants and oral examination was used to collect data on tooth loss. All observations made were recorded on a data sheet. Data generated were arranged in tables and analysed using descriptive statistics of percentages and a bar chart. Results Results indicated that the overall prevalence of tooth loss in the study population was 74%. The most affected jaw was the mandible (42.5%). The majority of the participants lost 1 tooth – 3 teeth (97.3%), and the most frequently lost tooth was the premolar (30.4%). Conclusion There is the need to evolve special oral health education programmes, targeting geriatrics, to control the risk factors of tooth loss.

Keywords

• Tooth loss, geriatrics, prevalence