Public Health and Nutrition

The presentation will have as main goals the description of the reality of oral health and the prevalence of oral diseases and consequent need of oral rehabilitation among the institutionalized elderly and patients with mental and physical limitations in Portugal, based on an epidemiological approach. The main problems identified among the elderly and patients with special healthcare needs are: difficulty in maintaining daily oral hygiene habits, toothache, dental infections, edentulism and poor chewing capacity which may bring other systemic diseases associated. This presentation will show what has been done in the field of oral health education and promotion in various nursing homes in the centre region of Portugal and also some results of epidemiological research developed in the past years, demonstrating that poor oral health among the elderly and patients with mental and physical limitations should be considered a serious public health issue and the definition of oral health promotion strategies are needed. The audience will be able to understand the reality of oral health and the lack of oral hygiene and dental treatment among these patients in analysis; understand the difficulties associated with treatment and primary prevention; demonstrate some epidemiological research developed in various samples of institutionalized elderly and patients with mental and physical limitations, which is a population-group that clearly presents lack of epidemiological research developed. Also, the audience may benefit in understanding some efficient strategies in oral health promotion and how an epidemiological research can be developed among these specific risk community groups.