In the city of Londrina, State of Paraná, Brazil, the proportion of people aged over 60 years in 2002 was of 9.35%, whereas the national average in the same year was 8.52%. Fifteen percent have health problems that hinder their search for health medical and dental services. Besides this difficulty, the low family income to afford private dental assistance and the lack of priority in public services place them in a condition of abandonment. Forty-three elders, selected in a convenience sample, were interviewed and underwent clinical dental exams in their homes. It was observed that 79.1% reported their last visit to a dentist more than 5 years ago, and barely 55.8% recognized the need for dental treatment. In the clinical exam, 79.1% of the elders had already lost all teeth in the upper arch and 65.1% in the lower arch, and needed to use prosthesis. Concerning time of use of the same prosthesis, it was found an average of 15 years, and considering the general state of conservation, 67.8% of the upper prosthesis and 82.4% of the lower ones should be replaced. The index of decayed, lost or filled teeth was of 29.7, with an average of 2.3 teeth with no treatments or problems. Due to the precarious conditions found, more studies on the restraint to residence and its implications are needed, as risk factors for bad condition and maintenance of mouth health among elders.
dental health surveys; dental care; aged; interdisciplinary research
