TY - JOUR
T1 - Oral health in a convenience sample of Chinese older adults living in Melbourne, Australia
AU - Mariño, Rodrigo
AU - Morgan, Mike
AU - Kiyak, Asuman
AU - Schwarz, Eli
AU - Naqvi, Syed
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgments This study was partially funded by a grant received from the Australian Dental Research Foundation (ADRF). The authors would like to acknowledge the support received from the Chinese Health Foundation of Australia (CHFA) and the participants in this study. In particular we would like to acknowledge Ms. Mei Tim Yu for assisting with data collection.
PY - 2012/4
Y1 - 2012/4
N2 - Objectives To present data on the dental and periodontal status of a convenience sample of 101 ambulant Chinaborn older adults who now live in Melbourne. These older adults participated in a study to assess the prevalence of specific oral diseases. Methods Participants were interviewed in Cantonese using a structured questionnaire and received an oral examination to assess dental and periodontal status using the DMFS/T and CPI indices, respectively. Results This sample was largely a dentate one (94.1%); with a mean Decayed, Filled and Missing tooth surfaces (DMFS) score of 57.5 (SD 37.9). Approximately, 80% of the dentate sample had all their restorative needs met; 25% had a sound periodontium; 41% needed oral hygiene instruction plus scaling, while 6.3% required complex periodontal therapy. Compared with existing data on the oral health of older adults in Australia, Chinese immigrant older adults appear to have lower DMFS scores, a lower number of untreated decayed surfaces, a lower prevalence of gingivitis, and less need for complex periodontal treatment. Conclusion These tentative findings provide an initial assessment of the risk of oral diseases among a group immigrant older adults. This study highlights the need to collect relevant information in order to identify factors that influence the oral health of older immigrants to Australia.
AB - Objectives To present data on the dental and periodontal status of a convenience sample of 101 ambulant Chinaborn older adults who now live in Melbourne. These older adults participated in a study to assess the prevalence of specific oral diseases. Methods Participants were interviewed in Cantonese using a structured questionnaire and received an oral examination to assess dental and periodontal status using the DMFS/T and CPI indices, respectively. Results This sample was largely a dentate one (94.1%); with a mean Decayed, Filled and Missing tooth surfaces (DMFS) score of 57.5 (SD 37.9). Approximately, 80% of the dentate sample had all their restorative needs met; 25% had a sound periodontium; 41% needed oral hygiene instruction plus scaling, while 6.3% required complex periodontal therapy. Compared with existing data on the oral health of older adults in Australia, Chinese immigrant older adults appear to have lower DMFS scores, a lower number of untreated decayed surfaces, a lower prevalence of gingivitis, and less need for complex periodontal treatment. Conclusion These tentative findings provide an initial assessment of the risk of oral diseases among a group immigrant older adults. This study highlights the need to collect relevant information in order to identify factors that influence the oral health of older immigrants to Australia.
KW - Oral health China-born Older adults Immigrant health Australia
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U2 - 10.1007/s00038-011-0248-6
DO - 10.1007/s00038-011-0248-6
M3 - Article
C2 - 21468640
AN - SCOPUS:84863781976
SN - 1661-8556
VL - 57
SP - 383
EP - 390
JO - International Journal of Public Health
JF - International Journal of Public Health
IS - 2
ER -