Edentulism And Factors Associated With Community Dwelling Elderly In Pasir Puteh, Kelantan, Malaysia

Objective: To assess the prevalence of edentulism (total tooth loss) and factors associated with community dwelling elderly in Pasir Puteh, Kelantan, Malaysia. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study has been conducted among community dwelling elderly in Pasir Puteh, Kelantan. Upon completion of a face-to-face administered questionnaire of participant's socio-demographic and oral health pro files, the edentulous state was examined and recorded. Data obtained was analyzed using SPSS version 22.0. Results: A total of 600 elderly who participated in this study consist of 371 edentulous and 229 with at least one natural tooth. The prevalence of edentulism was 62.3% (95% CI: 58.3, 66.2). Age, level of education, last dental visit, fear of dental treatment, and denture wearing status were found to be associated with edentulism (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Edentulism was found to be higher among community dwelling elderly in Pasir Puteh, Kelantan. Increasing in age, lower level of education, frequent dental visit, less fear of dental treatment, and wearing a denture were found to be associated with edentulism.