Ta. Dolan et al., 3-YEAR CHANGES IN GLOBAL ORAL HEALTH RATING BY ELDERLY DENTATE ADULTS, Community dentistry and oral epidemiology, 26(1), 1998, pp. 62-69
Citations number
27
Categorie Soggetti
Dentistry,Oral Surgery & Medicine","Public, Environmental & Occupation Heath
The single item global rating is an economical way of summarizing the
state of a person's oral health, and thus is a potentially valuable or
al health outcome measure. This research describes the nature, magnitu
de, and direction of changes in oral health as measured by the global
rating with the goal of furthering our understanding of older adults'
oral health perceptions over time. Data from a randomized trial of a c
omprehensive geriatric assessment and prevention program in community-
dwelling adults aged 75+ years living in Santa Monica, California, col
lected between 1988 and 1993 were analyzed. Descriptive techniques as
well as a transition matrix were used to examine changes in the global
rating and compare these changes to variation, over time, in two rele
vant measures: the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI) and
self-reported need for dental treatment. The global rating varied over
time and the changes were consistent with those measured by the GOHAI
and self reported treatment need. Whether the change in oral health a
s measured by the global rating is clinically meaningful, and what spe
cific dental conditions account for these changes remain important top
ics for future investigation. However, the changes that occur in oral
health ratings at the individual level are much more pronounced than t
he distribution of global rating at each point in time would suggest.