Impact of oral health on nutritional status, self-perception of oral health and quality of life of institutionalized elderly

Background This study aimed to investigate the influence of oral health on nutritional status, self-perception of oral health and health related quality of life of institutionalized elders. Material and methods A cross-sectional study was conducted with 193 institutionalized elders living in the metropolitan region of Joao Pessoa (Brazil). The independent variables included were: 1) caries experience (DMFT index and its components); 2) use and need of dental prostheses; and 3) type of edentulism. The dependent variables included were related to nutritional status, self-perception of oral health and health-related quality of life. Data were submitted to a descriptive and comparative analysis…