[Oral health in care-dependent elderly: an inventory in a nursing home in the north of the Netherlands].

When people grow old and dependent on care, it usually becomes increasingly difficult to maintain oral health. The aim of this study was to assess what changes have taken place during the last ten years in oral health and the need for dental care among patients who were admitted to a nursing home between 2002 and 2012. Results revealed that the number of patients with remaining teeth increased significantly, from 7.9% to 28.7%, and that the number of patients with implants increased from 0.0% to 3.2%. More than 80% of the patients had moderate to poor oral health upon arrival. Moreover, almost half of the patients were revealed to be non-cooperative for evaluation and/or treatment, especially those who had remaining teeth. The expectation is that as a result of the increasing number of care-dependent elderly with remaining teeth in combination with poor oral health, the demand for dental care for care-dependent elderly in nursing homes will increase harply in the coming years.