Journal of AdvancedMedical and Dental Sciences Research

BACKGROUND-The elderly population is continuously increasing and simultaneously the problems faced by these people are increasing.2 Older age can bring a variety of dental health problems also and when it comes to oral health many physical and psychological problems may develop which include tooth loss due to periodontal breakdown, coronal and root caries, xerostomia, tooth surface loss, cusp fracture and deterioration in the sense of taste. MATERIAL AND METHODS-A sample of 150 elderly people (75 males and 75 females), wearing complete dentures, was purposively selected for the study. A questionnaire was used to collect information related with different variables like age, gender, type of family, family income, physical problems, eating, communication, social and psychological problems. The questions were asked in person by the investigator and the resulting data was analysed qualitatively and quantitatively. RESULTS-majority of respondents men and women had difficulty in speech. Most of respondents men and women expressed their inability to eat in public, for this reason, men and women avoided going to parties. Some men and women rarely left their home environment. as the thought of meeting and talking to their friends while not wearing teeth was embarrassing and unsettling. About men and women said that it was not easy to clean the dentures, which led to foul smell/bad breath at times, which led to embarrassment. CONCLUSION-Complete denture wearers suffer from various physical, social and psychological problems. These problems have a effect on their quality of life so in order to increase the confidence of the elderly people, proper treatment and counseling is needed. Good oral self care and regular dental checkups can lower these problems. KEY WORDS- Periodontal Breakdown, Coronal And Root Caries, Xerostomia, Tooth Surface Loss, Cusp Fracture.