Influence of alzheimer’s disease on the oral health condition and quality of life of elderly individuals

Aim: Evaluating the influence of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) on oral health and perception about quality of life by elderly individuals. Methods: The DMFT index was used to assess the oral health. The OHIP-14 questionnaire (Oral Health Impact Profile-14) was adopted to evaluate oral health-associated quality of life of elderly individuals with (WAD) and without (WoAD) AD diagnostics. Data were analyzed through Mann-Whitney test; the correlation between DMFT index and OHIP-14 was assessed through Spearman’s test. Results: Both groups presented poor oral health; however, the DMFT median was significantly higher in the WoAD group [28.0 (24.5 – 28.0)] than in the WAD group [21.0 (16.0 – 28.0)] (p<0.05). The OHIP-14 index recorded low and similar results in the WoAD [7 (4.5-15)] and WAD groups [6.0(4.0-9.0)] and lack of correlation in the DMFT index of both groups. Oral health did not have negative impact on the quality of life of elderly individuals in both groups. Conclusion: DA did not influence oral health-associated quality of life. Despite the evidence of poor oral health in both groups, results have shown lack of self-perception about buccal issues by elderlies.