Knowledge of Oral and Dental Health Maintenance and Tooth Loss Among the Elderly at Hargo Dedali Nursing Home Surabaya
Abstract
Tooth loss among older adults is one of the most common oral health problems and can have a significant impact on their quality of life. Older adults are expected to have at least 20 functional teeth to ensure optimal chewing function. One possible factor contributing to tooth loss in older adults is their level of knowledge regarding oral and dental health maintenance. Good knowledge is expected to encourage proper oral and dental health maintenance behaviors, thereby helping to prevent tooth loss. This study aimed to determine the relationship between knowledge of oral and dental health maintenance and tooth loss among older adults at Hargo Dedali Nursing Home Surabaya. This study employed a correlational analytic research design with a cross-sectional approach. The number of respondents in this study was 29 older adults. The instruments used to measure knowledge of oral and dental health maintenance were a questionnaire, while a dental examination form was used to determine the number of missing teeth among the respondents. Data analysis was conducted using the chi-square test to examine the relationship between knowledge of oral and dental health maintenance and tooth loss. The results showed that there was a significant relationship between knowledge of oral and dental health maintenance and tooth loss among older adults, as indicated by a p-value of 0.000 (p < 0.05). Older adults with lower levels of knowledge regarding oral and dental health maintenance tended to have a higher number of missing teeth. These findings indicate that knowledge plays an important role in efforts to prevent tooth loss among older adults.
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