Use and need for dental prostheses in oral health-related daily activities among older adults: a cross-sectional study based on SB Brasil 2023.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the association between the use and need for dental prostheses and the presence of oral health impacts on daily activities, measured using the Oral Impacts on Daily Performance (OIDP) instrument, among older adults in Brazil.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study used data from the 2023 Brazilian National Oral Health Survey (SB Brasil), including 9,696 individuals aged 65 to 74 years, with clinical and sociodemographic information. The dependent variable was the presence of oral health impacts on daily activities, assessed by the OIDP and defined as the report of at least one negative impact. Independent variables included sociodemographic characteristics, use and need for dental prostheses, self-perceived need for prosthetic replacement, edentulism, and implant-based rehabilitation. Descriptive analyses and Poisson regression with robust variance were performed, accounting for the complex sampling design, and Prevalence Ratios (PR) and 95% Confidence Intervals (95%CI) were estimated).

RESULTS

Oral health impacts on daily activities were most frequent for eating (21.0%), smiling (16.1%), and emotional status (13.3%). Female gender (PR 1.07; 95%CI 1.01-1.14), self-perceived need to use or replace prostheses (PR 1.32; 95%CI 1.24-1.41), and need for upper prosthesis (PR 1.18; 95%CI 1.10-1.27) were associated with higher prevalence of impacts, while the use of implant-supported prostheses was a protective factor (PR 0.90; 95%CI 0.83-0.97).

CONCLUSION

Prosthetic status is central to the relationship between oral health and quality of life in older adults, reinforcing the need for public policies that expand access and equity in prosthetic rehabilitation.