The tooth reduction and abrasion in a group of elderly home residents

The degree of tooth loss and abrasion. was the objective of the study on a group of 73 partially dentate elderly home residents, with particular inter est in the type of missing and abraded tooth and the type of the interocclu sal contacts according to the Eichner classification. The patients were exa mined by a dental mirror and a probe. The obtained data of dental status as well as medical and dental history were recorded in a specially designed q uestionnaire according to the WHO recommendations. The results confirmed th e hypothesis about the molars being the most commonly missing teeth, with a varage values of 4,49 present teeth in, lateral section and 5,82 present te eth in frontal section of the dental arch. The Eichner index class III was the most often interocclusal relationship found within 74% of the elderly h ome residents. Lower teeth were abraded more often than the upper teeth, sh owing higher abrasion degrees (class 2 and 3).