Tooth loss and associated factors in the elderly in Cruz Alta, Brazil: a crosssectional study.

The aim of this study was to evaluate severe tooth loss and associated factors among the elderly. A homebased crosssectional study, using random probabilistic sampling, was conducted with elderly persons from Cruz Alta, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Oral health was examined and a structured questionnaire was answered. Associations between severe tooth loss and independent variables were determined using Poisson regression with robust variance. The level of significance adopted was 5%. Overall, 287 elderly persons were included. Among the elderly, 86 (29.9%) were edentulous, and 282 (98.3%) had lost at least one tooth. In this sample, median tooth loss was 21 (mean+/-standard deviation: 19.69+/-8.21). The sample was dichotomized into two groups according to the definition of severe tooth loss: less than nine remaining teeth or >/=9 remaining teeth. The prevalence of severe tooth loss was 60.3% (n=173). Females were associated with higher prevalence ratio (PR) of severe tooth loss (PR; 95% CI: 1.77; 1.39 - 2.24). Higher level of education was associated with lower PR of severe tooth loss (PR; 95% CI: 0.48; 0.30 - 0.77). The lack of access to dental care was associated with severe tooth loss (PR; 95% CI: 1.38; 1.13 - 1.67). Conversely, frequency of toothbrushing was not significantly associated with severe tooth loss (PR; 95% CI: 0.88; 0.73 - 1.06). High prevalence of severe tooth loss among the elderly was observed and found to be associated with sex, level of education, and access to dental care.