Dentures, prosthetic treatment needs, and mucosal health in an institutionalised elderly population.

A survey of 359 elderly residents of rest homes and geriatric hospitals in the Manawatu and Horowhenua regions showed that 80.5 percent were fully edentulous. Full upper and lower dentures were worn by 64 percent of the total sample, and 31 percent of the dentate group wore one or more partial dentures. Prosthetic treatment needs were dominated by full dentures: 18 percent of upper dentures and 26 percent of lower dentures were considered to need replacement. A further 24 percent of full lower dentures required relining. Only 7 percent of the dentures were named. One third of the subjects had mucosal lesions, the most common lesions being angular cheilitis (present in 18 percent of subjects), traumatic ulcers (14 percent), atrophic glossitis (12 percent), and leukoplakia (present in 8 percent of subjects). No malignant lesions were found.