COMPARISON OF DENTAL STATUS AND ORAL FUNCTION BETWEEN THE ELDERLY WITH ....

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Introduction: Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are a group of disorders that may cause functional limitations. The aim of the study was to compare the differences in dental status, oral behaviour, and mandibular functional limitations between TMD and non-TMD elderly people in Vietnam. Methodology: The sample consisted of 146 TMD and 112 non-TMD elderly. The dental and periodontal status were evaluated with DMFT and CPI indices. The participants self-rated frequency of oral behaviour activities (21-item Oral Behaviour Checklist) and mandibular functional limitations (20-item Jaw Functional Limitation Scale). Results: The mean number of missing teeth in TMD group was 9.6 ± 8.6, while it was 7.6 ± 6.4 in non-TMD group (p = 0.036). Gingival bleeding in TMD group was detected at 18.3 ± 10.2 teeth, which was less than in non-TMD group (21.0 ± 8.7, p = 0.023). The mean number of sextants with a 0–3 mm clinical attachment loss was high for non-TMD group (1.4 ± 2.0, p = 0.021), while the mean number of excluded sextants was high for TMD group (1.3 ± 1.8, p = 0.037). The TMD elderly group reported more frequent instances of “Hold, tighten, or tense muscles” than non-TMD group. No significant differences were found in the self-rated mandibular functional limitations between the two groups. Conclusion: TMD were associated with missing teeth and periodontal diseases. There was no association between TMD and mandibular functional limitations. The elderly suffering from TMD tended to have increased frequency of holding, tightening, or tensing muscles. Keywords: dental caries, elderly, mastication, oral function, temporomandibular disorders.

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