Objectives: To investigate the relationship between tooth loss, denture wearing and oral health-related quality of life (OHQoL) among community-dwelling elderly people in Hong Kong.
Methods: A questionnaire study of elderly people aged 60-80 years who were recruited at neighborhood social centres for the elderly. The Chinese version of the General Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI) was used and information about natural tooth number and denture wearing were obtained.
Results: 233 elderly subjects were recruited and interviewed. Around 20% of the partially dentate subjects had their last tooth loss within the previous year and a quarter within the last five years. Significantly fewer edentulous subjects had their last tooth loss within the previous year (3%) and within the last five years (12%, p < 0.001). Twenty two percent of the subjects had difficulty in accepting tooth loss. More edentulous subjects (69%) were satisfied with their dentures than partially dentate denture wearers (37%, p < 0.001). Edentulous elderly subjects had a higher mean GOHAI score (53.0) than partially dentate denture wearers (49.1, p < 0.001). Results from a multiple factor ANOVA revealed that elderly subjects who had loose teeth, difficulty in accepting tooth loss and were not satisfied with their removable dentures had a lower mean GOHAI score.
Conclusions: In general, tooth loss and denture wearing did not have a major impact on OHQoL in elderly Chinese people. However, partially dentate denture wearers experienced a greater adverse impact on OHQoL than edentulous subjects most probably due to less satisfaction with their dentures and discomfort associated with loose teeth.