The oral health of elderly residents in a state institution in Jakarta: A preliminary study

The government is obliged to guarantee the availability of health care facilities and assistance for elderly individuals. There have been only a few studies of oral lesions in the elderly in Indonesia. To describe the oral health status of elderly residents of state institution in Jakarta. Participants were recruited via the consecutive sampling method. Of 220 elderly residents, 49 met the inclusion criteria. Socio-demographic data and medical histories were obtained from the medical records of the institution. All the patients underwent a clinical oral examination, which included Oral Hygiene Index-Simplified (OHI-S), Mucosal Plaque Index (MPI), and Salivary Flow Rate (SFR) measurements. The participants were also questioned about their oral habits, and any oral lesions were recorded. The prevalence of oral lesions was 55.1% (n=27), with only 20.24% (n=10) of elderly residents lesion free. The most common oral lesion was melanin pigmentation. None of the residents had severe pathological lesions, such as a malignancy or deep infection. This study found the most elderly subjects in the state institution was in poor oral health, implying that the government's aim to promote the well-being of elderly population has not been achieved.