Links to Exploration step
Le document en format XML
<record><TEI><teiHeader><fileDesc><titleStmt><title xml:lang="en">Oral Health Status of the Elderly at Tonga, West Region, Cameroon</title><author><name sortKey="Michele Lolita, Yotat" sort="Michele Lolita, Yotat" uniqKey="Michele Lolita Y" first="Yotat" last="Michele Lolita">Yotat Michele Lolita</name><affiliation><nlm:aff id="I1">Dental Department, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Université des Montagnes, P.O. Box 206, Bangangté, Cameroon</nlm:aff></affiliation></author><author><name sortKey="Ashu Michael, Agbor" sort="Ashu Michael, Agbor" uniqKey="Ashu Michael A" first="Agbor" last="Ashu Michael">Agbor Ashu Michael</name><affiliation><nlm:aff id="I1">Dental Department, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Université des Montagnes, P.O. Box 206, Bangangté, Cameroon</nlm:aff></affiliation></author><author><name sortKey="Hubert, Ntumba" sort="Hubert, Ntumba" uniqKey="Hubert N" first="Ntumba" last="Hubert">Ntumba Hubert</name><affiliation><nlm:aff id="I2">Université de Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo</nlm:aff></affiliation></author><author><name sortKey="Florence, Djachechi" sort="Florence, Djachechi" uniqKey="Florence D" first="Djachechi" last="Florence">Djachechi Florence</name><affiliation><nlm:aff id="I1">Dental Department, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Université des Montagnes, P.O. Box 206, Bangangté, Cameroon</nlm:aff></affiliation></author><author><name sortKey="Jacques, Bolenge" sort="Jacques, Bolenge" uniqKey="Jacques B" first="Bolenge" last="Jacques">Bolenge Jacques</name><affiliation><nlm:aff id="I2">Université de Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo</nlm:aff></affiliation></author></titleStmt><publicationStmt><idno type="wicri:source">PMC</idno><idno type="pmid">26633972</idno><idno type="pmc">4655062</idno><idno type="url">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4655062</idno><idno type="RBID">PMC:4655062</idno><idno type="doi">10.1155/2015/820416</idno><date when="2015">2015</date><idno type="wicri:Area/Pmc/Corpus">002D97</idno><idno type="wicri:explorRef" wicri:stream="Pmc" wicri:step="Corpus" wicri:corpus="PMC">002D97</idno></publicationStmt><sourceDesc><biblStruct><analytic><title xml:lang="en" level="a" type="main">Oral Health Status of the Elderly at Tonga, West Region, Cameroon</title><author><name sortKey="Michele Lolita, Yotat" sort="Michele Lolita, Yotat" uniqKey="Michele Lolita Y" first="Yotat" last="Michele Lolita">Yotat Michele Lolita</name><affiliation><nlm:aff id="I1">Dental Department, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Université des Montagnes, P.O. Box 206, Bangangté, Cameroon</nlm:aff></affiliation></author><author><name sortKey="Ashu Michael, Agbor" sort="Ashu Michael, Agbor" uniqKey="Ashu Michael A" first="Agbor" last="Ashu Michael">Agbor Ashu Michael</name><affiliation><nlm:aff id="I1">Dental Department, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Université des Montagnes, P.O. Box 206, Bangangté, Cameroon</nlm:aff></affiliation></author><author><name sortKey="Hubert, Ntumba" sort="Hubert, Ntumba" uniqKey="Hubert N" first="Ntumba" last="Hubert">Ntumba Hubert</name><affiliation><nlm:aff id="I2">Université de Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo</nlm:aff></affiliation></author><author><name sortKey="Florence, Djachechi" sort="Florence, Djachechi" uniqKey="Florence D" first="Djachechi" last="Florence">Djachechi Florence</name><affiliation><nlm:aff id="I1">Dental Department, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Université des Montagnes, P.O. Box 206, Bangangté, Cameroon</nlm:aff></affiliation></author><author><name sortKey="Jacques, Bolenge" sort="Jacques, Bolenge" uniqKey="Jacques B" first="Bolenge" last="Jacques">Bolenge Jacques</name><affiliation><nlm:aff id="I2">Université de Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo</nlm:aff></affiliation></author></analytic><series><title level="j">International Journal of Dentistry</title><idno type="ISSN">1687-8728</idno><idno type="eISSN">1687-8736</idno><imprint><date when="2015">2015</date></imprint></series></biblStruct></sourceDesc></fileDesc><profileDesc><textClass></textClass></profileDesc></teiHeader><front><div type="abstract" xml:lang="en"><p><italic>Objectives</italic>. The aim of this study was to determine the oral health status of elderly persons in Tonga, West Region of Cameroon. <italic>Methodology</italic>. This is a cross-sectional study of persons of at least 65 years, living in Tonga village, West Region of Cameroon. <italic>Results</italic>. A total of 183 persons aged between 65 and 94 years, mean age of 73 years ±7 s.d., 83 (45,4%) males, and 100 (54,6%) females participated in the study. The most represented age range was 65–74 years (60.1%); 86 (47.3%) and elders above 65 constituted 1.8% of the total population. More than a third 117 (41.4%) had visible dental plaque, 117 (48,6%) had periodontal pockets >4 mm, 153 (54,1%) had teeth with total crown destruction, 70 (38.3%) had not lost a tooth, 23 (12.6%) had lost 1 tooth, 19 (10.4%) have lost at least 2 teeth, 100 (55.7%) were partially edentulous at the maxilla and 98 (53.6%) at the mandible, 2 (1.1%) were completely edentulous at the maxilla and 3 (1.6%) at the mandible, and 3.8% had removable dentures. The mean DMF index was 6.11 and 69.4% had dental caries. Risk factors to dental caries were toothbrushing and tobacco consumption while dental plaque was associated to pocket depth of 4–6 mm. Barriers to oral health care included ignorance 47 (25.7%), financial difficulties 124 (67.8%), and distance to the nearest clinic 12 (6.5%). <italic> Conclusion.</italic> The oral status of the elderly was generally poor.</p></div></front><back><div1 type="bibliography"><listBibl><biblStruct><analytic><author><name sortKey="Vargas, C M" uniqKey="Vargas C">C. M. Vargas</name></author><author><name sortKey="Kramarow, E A" uniqKey="Kramarow E">E. A. Kramarow</name></author><author><name sortKey="Yellowitz, J A" uniqKey="Yellowitz J">J. A. Yellowitz</name></author></analytic></biblStruct><biblStruct><analytic><author><name sortKey="Riesen, M" uniqKey="Riesen M">M. Riesen</name></author><author><name sortKey="Chung, J P" uniqKey="Chung J">J. P. Chung</name></author><author><name sortKey="Pazos, E" uniqKey="Pazos E">E. Pazos</name></author><author><name sortKey="Budtz Jorgensen, E" uniqKey="Budtz Jorgensen E">E. Budtz-Jorgensen</name></author></analytic></biblStruct><biblStruct></biblStruct><biblStruct><analytic><author><name sortKey="Robert, B" uniqKey="Robert B">B. Robert</name></author><author><name sortKey="Mark, H" uniqKey="Mark H">H. Mark</name></author></analytic></biblStruct><biblStruct><analytic><author><name sortKey="Petersen, P E" uniqKey="Petersen P">P. E. Petersen</name></author></analytic></biblStruct><biblStruct></biblStruct><biblStruct><analytic><author><name sortKey="Ngatia, E M" uniqKey="Ngatia E">E. M. Ngatia</name></author><author><name sortKey="Gathece, L W" uniqKey="Gathece L">L. W. Gathece</name></author><author><name sortKey="Macigo, F G" uniqKey="Macigo F">F. G. Macigo</name></author><author><name sortKey="Mulli, T K" uniqKey="Mulli T">T. K. Mulli</name></author><author><name sortKey="Mutara, L N" uniqKey="Mutara L">L. N. Mutara</name></author><author><name sortKey="Wagaiyu, E G" uniqKey="Wagaiyu E">E. G. Wagaiyu</name></author></analytic></biblStruct><biblStruct></biblStruct><biblStruct></biblStruct><biblStruct></biblStruct><biblStruct></biblStruct><biblStruct><analytic><author><name sortKey="Kanoute, A" uniqKey="Kanoute A">A. Kanouté</name></author></analytic></biblStruct><biblStruct><analytic><author><name sortKey="Agbor, A M" uniqKey="Agbor A">A. M. Agbor</name></author><author><name sortKey="Naidoo, S" uniqKey="Naidoo S">S. Naidoo</name></author></analytic></biblStruct><biblStruct><analytic><author><name sortKey="Macqueron, N" uniqKey="Macqueron N">N. Macqueron</name></author></analytic></biblStruct><biblStruct><analytic><author><name sortKey="Agbor, M A" uniqKey="Agbor M">M. A. Agbor</name></author><author><name sortKey="Azodo, C C" uniqKey="Azodo C">C. C. Azodo</name></author></analytic></biblStruct><biblStruct><analytic><author><name sortKey="Norton, M R" uniqKey="Norton M">M. R. Norton</name></author><author><name sortKey="Addy, M" uniqKey="Addy M">M. Addy</name></author></analytic></biblStruct><biblStruct><analytic><author><name sortKey="Aderinokun, G A" uniqKey="Aderinokun G">G. A. Aderinokun</name></author><author><name sortKey="Lawoyin, J O" uniqKey="Lawoyin J">J. O. Lawoyin</name></author><author><name sortKey="Onyeaso, C O" uniqKey="Onyeaso C">C. O. Onyeaso</name></author></analytic></biblStruct><biblStruct><analytic><author><name sortKey="Al Sinaidi, A A" uniqKey="Al Sinaidi A">A. A. Al-Sinaidi</name></author></analytic></biblStruct><biblStruct><analytic><author><name sortKey="Vatsana, C" uniqKey="Vatsana C">C. Vatsana</name></author></analytic></biblStruct><biblStruct><analytic><author><name sortKey="Henriksen, B M" uniqKey="Henriksen B">B. M. Henriksen</name></author><author><name sortKey="Ambj Rnsen, E" uniqKey="Ambj Rnsen E">E. Ambjørnsen</name></author><author><name sortKey="Axell, T" uniqKey="Axell T">T. Axéll</name></author></analytic></biblStruct><biblStruct><analytic><author><name sortKey="Koivogui, A" uniqKey="Koivogui A">A. Koivogui</name></author><author><name sortKey="Michelet, A" uniqKey="Michelet A">A. Michelet</name></author><author><name sortKey="Ndiaye, G" uniqKey="Ndiaye G">G. Ndiaye</name></author><author><name sortKey="Modoianu, L" uniqKey="Modoianu L">L. Modoianu</name></author><author><name sortKey="Barro, S" uniqKey="Barro S">S. Barro</name></author><author><name sortKey="Laurendon, C" uniqKey="Laurendon C">C. Laurendon</name></author></analytic></biblStruct><biblStruct><analytic><author><name sortKey="Molete, M P" uniqKey="Molete M">M. P. Molete</name></author><author><name sortKey="Yengopal, V" uniqKey="Yengopal V">V. Yengopal</name></author><author><name sortKey="Moorman, J" uniqKey="Moorman J">J. Moorman</name></author></analytic></biblStruct><biblStruct><analytic><author><name sortKey="Petersen, P E" uniqKey="Petersen P">P. E. Petersen</name></author></analytic></biblStruct><biblStruct><analytic><author><name sortKey="Tramini, P" uniqKey="Tramini P">P. Tramini</name></author><author><name sortKey="Montal, S" uniqKey="Montal S">S. Montal</name></author><author><name sortKey="Valcarcel, J" uniqKey="Valcarcel J">J. Valcarcel</name></author></analytic></biblStruct><biblStruct><analytic><author><name sortKey="Achembong, L N" uniqKey="Achembong L">L. N. Achembong</name></author><author><name sortKey="Ashu, A M" uniqKey="Ashu A">A. M. Ashu</name></author><author><name sortKey="Hagopian, A" uniqKey="Hagopian A">A. Hagopian</name></author><author><name sortKey="Downer, A" uniqKey="Downer A">A. Downer</name></author><author><name sortKey="Barnhart, S" uniqKey="Barnhart S">S. Barnhart</name></author></analytic></biblStruct><biblStruct><analytic><author><name sortKey="Agbor, M A" uniqKey="Agbor M">M. A. Agbor</name></author><author><name sortKey="Azodo, C C" uniqKey="Azodo C">C. C. Azodo</name></author></analytic></biblStruct><biblStruct><analytic><author><name sortKey="Agbor, M A" uniqKey="Agbor M">M. A. Agbor</name></author><author><name sortKey="Azodo, C C" uniqKey="Azodo C">C. C. Azodo</name></author><author><name sortKey="Tefouet, T S M" uniqKey="Tefouet T">T. S. M. Tefouet</name></author></analytic></biblStruct></listBibl></div1></back></TEI><pmc article-type="research-article"><pmc-dir>properties open_access</pmc-dir>
<front><journal-meta><journal-id journal-id-type="nlm-ta">Int J Dent</journal-id><journal-id journal-id-type="iso-abbrev">Int J Dent</journal-id><journal-id journal-id-type="publisher-id">IJD</journal-id><journal-title-group><journal-title>International Journal of Dentistry</journal-title></journal-title-group><issn pub-type="ppub">1687-8728</issn><issn pub-type="epub">1687-8736</issn><publisher><publisher-name>Hindawi Publishing Corporation</publisher-name></publisher></journal-meta><article-meta><article-id pub-id-type="pmid">26633972</article-id><article-id pub-id-type="pmc">4655062</article-id><article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.1155/2015/820416</article-id><article-categories><subj-group subj-group-type="heading"><subject>Research Article</subject></subj-group></article-categories><title-group><article-title>Oral Health Status of the Elderly at Tonga, West Region, Cameroon</article-title></title-group><contrib-group><contrib contrib-type="author"><name><surname>Michele Lolita</surname><given-names>Yotat</given-names></name><xref ref-type="aff" rid="I1"><sup>1</sup></xref></contrib><contrib contrib-type="author"><name><surname>Ashu Michael</surname><given-names>Agbor</given-names></name><xref ref-type="aff" rid="I1"><sup>1</sup></xref><xref ref-type="corresp" rid="cor1"><sup>*</sup></xref></contrib><contrib contrib-type="author"><name><surname>Hubert</surname><given-names>Ntumba</given-names></name><xref ref-type="aff" rid="I2"><sup>2</sup></xref></contrib><contrib contrib-type="author"><name><surname>Florence</surname><given-names>Djachechi</given-names></name><xref ref-type="aff" rid="I1"><sup>1</sup></xref></contrib><contrib contrib-type="author"><name><surname>Jacques</surname><given-names>Bolenge</given-names></name><xref ref-type="aff" rid="I2"><sup>2</sup></xref></contrib></contrib-group><aff id="I1"><sup>1</sup>Dental Department, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Université des Montagnes, P.O. Box 206, Bangangté, Cameroon</aff><aff id="I2"><sup>2</sup>Université de Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo</aff><author-notes><corresp id="cor1">*Agbor Ashu Michael: <email>agborasm@yahoo.com</email></corresp><fn fn-type="other"><p>Academic Editor: Timo Sorsa</p></fn></author-notes><pub-date pub-type="ppub"><year>2015</year></pub-date><pub-date pub-type="epub"><day>8</day><month>11</month><year>2015</year></pub-date><volume>2015</volume><elocation-id>820416</elocation-id><history><date date-type="received"><day>4</day><month>6</month><year>2015</year></date><date date-type="rev-recd"><day>23</day><month>8</month><year>2015</year></date><date date-type="accepted"><day>24</day><month>8</month><year>2015</year></date></history><permissions><copyright-statement>Copyright © 2015 Yotat Michele Lolita et al.</copyright-statement><copyright-year>2015</copyright-year><license xlink:href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/"><license-p>This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.</license-p></license></permissions><abstract><p><italic>Objectives</italic>. The aim of this study was to determine the oral health status of elderly persons in Tonga, West Region of Cameroon. <italic>Methodology</italic>. This is a cross-sectional study of persons of at least 65 years, living in Tonga village, West Region of Cameroon. <italic>Results</italic>. A total of 183 persons aged between 65 and 94 years, mean age of 73 years ±7 s.d., 83 (45,4%) males, and 100 (54,6%) females participated in the study. The most represented age range was 65–74 years (60.1%); 86 (47.3%) and elders above 65 constituted 1.8% of the total population. More than a third 117 (41.4%) had visible dental plaque, 117 (48,6%) had periodontal pockets >4 mm, 153 (54,1%) had teeth with total crown destruction, 70 (38.3%) had not lost a tooth, 23 (12.6%) had lost 1 tooth, 19 (10.4%) have lost at least 2 teeth, 100 (55.7%) were partially edentulous at the maxilla and 98 (53.6%) at the mandible, 2 (1.1%) were completely edentulous at the maxilla and 3 (1.6%) at the mandible, and 3.8% had removable dentures. The mean DMF index was 6.11 and 69.4% had dental caries. Risk factors to dental caries were toothbrushing and tobacco consumption while dental plaque was associated to pocket depth of 4–6 mm. Barriers to oral health care included ignorance 47 (25.7%), financial difficulties 124 (67.8%), and distance to the nearest clinic 12 (6.5%). <italic> Conclusion.</italic> The oral status of the elderly was generally poor.</p></abstract></article-meta></front><body><sec id="sec1"><title>1. Introduction</title><p>In many parts of the world, attaining old age is a rare privilege, though old age is often associated with some health challenges. Whether the added years at the end of the life cycle are healthy, enjoyable, and productive depends in part upon preventing and controlling a number of chronic diseases and conditions [<xref rid="B1" ref-type="bibr">1</xref>]. This is because around the age of 60 years chronic diseases associated with age increase and a slow and progressive deterioration of the oral health appears. Edentulousness, multiple restorations, root caries, attrition, periodontal diseases, and certain diseases of the oral mucosa are the main oral diseases of the elderly [<xref rid="B2" ref-type="bibr">2</xref>].</p><p>Therefore the elderly constitute a vulnerable population often suffering from various pathologies. Amongst them are oral pathologies; though considered negligible in terms of gravity, they constitute a nonnegligible factor of comorbidity [<xref rid="B3" ref-type="bibr">3</xref>]. These pathologies exert physiological, biological, and psychological changes associated with aging affecting their quality of life.</p><p>The world population is aging gradually. In Europe more than 17% of the population is more than 65 years old, compared to 12.4% in the United States [<xref rid="B4" ref-type="bibr">4</xref>]. In 2025, the global population has been previewed to be more than 830 million of people aged 65 years and above living mainly in developing countries [<xref rid="B4" ref-type="bibr">4</xref>]. As people age, their susceptibility to chronic and life-threatening diseases as well as acute infections increases, exacerbated by compromised immune systems. In addition to cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and infections, poor oral health most notably tooth loss and severe periodontal conditions is prevalent in this age group [<xref rid="B5" ref-type="bibr">5</xref>]. Consequently population growth and longevity will project dental surgery in such a way that dental care for the elderly will be increased because of their increased oral health needs [<xref rid="B4" ref-type="bibr">4</xref>].</p><p>In Cameroon between 1976 and 1987, the number of elderly people had increased at an annual average rate of 2.1% whereas between 1987 and 2005 this subpopulation has an annual growth rate of 2.5%. At this rate, we expect even greater numbers of older people in the next ten years [<xref rid="B6" ref-type="bibr">6</xref>]. Cameroon is one of the sub-Saharan African countries where the population is rapidly increasing. Reports from the 3rd Cameroon household survey conducted in 2010 stated that Cameroon had approximately one million people above 60 years at January 2010 and predicted that this figure would increase to 1.1 million in 2015 and to 1.3 million in 2020 [<xref rid="B6" ref-type="bibr">6</xref>]. The results of the national population censuses and surveys have shown that, between 1950–1955 and 1990–2000, the decrease in mortality was spectacular, passing life expectancy of 36 years to 50 years or a life gain of 15 years in about 45 years, with an annual average gain of four months [<xref rid="B6" ref-type="bibr">6</xref>]. The number of people aged of at least 60 years increased from 441.450 in 1976 to 870.642 in 2005, with an average annual growth rate of 2.6% [<xref rid="B6" ref-type="bibr">6</xref>].</p><p>Most of the old people in Cameroon like in most developing countries enter old age after a life of poverty and deprivation, with poor access to healthcare, and inadequate diet in quality and quantity [<xref rid="B7" ref-type="bibr">7</xref>]. Majority of these elderly people suffer from various problems ranging from extreme poverty, ill-health, poor nutrition, lack of adequate care, shelter, clothing, isolation, and mental and physical abuse [<xref rid="B7" ref-type="bibr">7</xref>]. Many of them also suffer from age related health problems such as hypertension, diabetes, cancer, tuberculosis, arthritis, and ophthalmologic diseases especially poor eyesight [<xref rid="B7" ref-type="bibr">7</xref>, <xref rid="B8" ref-type="bibr">8</xref>]. Factors associated with old age such as reduced salivary flow (in quality and quantity), lowered immunity, and the reduced ability of the body to repair may aggravate the process of the degradation of the oral tissues [<xref rid="B7" ref-type="bibr">7</xref>].</p><p>Oral diseases and tooth loss cause difficulties in chewing. This may in turn lead to selection of soft diets, which in most cases are composed of refined carbohydrates. This would easily predispose them to malnutrition and general ill health. Other difficulties associated with poor oral health status include difficulties in speech, deformed facial profile, and loss of self-esteem [<xref rid="B7" ref-type="bibr">7</xref>] which all together affect the quality of life of individuals.</p><p>Barriers to oral health care among the elderly are considerable. Impaired mobility, disabilities, poverty, inadequate financing for oral health care, and lack of oral health facilities impede access to care particularly for those who reside in rural areas.</p><p>In the recent years there has been a growing awareness in the dental profession that the dental needs of the elderly people have been generally neglected and that the problem requires attention.</p><p>In 1981, a collaboration working group of WHO/FDI formulated a number of oral health goals to be achieved as a measure of the attainment of “health for all by the year 2000.” As declared in 1979, one of these goals covered the elderly and stated that, by the year 2000, a 25% reduction in the present (1981) level of edentulousness at the age greater than 65 years will be achieved. It was also recommended that, greater than 50% of persons in this age group should be able to retain a minimum of 20 functional teeth [<xref rid="B9" ref-type="bibr">9</xref>]. However, this goal has not been attained yet.</p><p>Data on the oral health status and treatment needs of the elderly in majority of African countries and Cameroon in particular in a rural community are insufficient.</p><p>The aim of this study was to determine the oral health status of elderly persons in Tonga (a typical rural area), Nde Division of the West Region of Cameroon.</p></sec><sec id="sec2"><title>2. Methods</title><p>A cross-sectional survey was carried out for three months from May 1, to July 30, 2014, in Tonga, a subdivision of the Nde Division in the West Region of Cameroon (see Appendix 1 in Supplementary Material available online at <ext-link ext-link-type="uri" xlink:href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/820416">http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/820416</ext-link>) [<xref rid="B13" ref-type="bibr">10</xref>].</p><p>The Tonga subdivision is comprised of 3 major village groups: Badoumga (Banounga), Baloua, and Babitchoua with a surface area of 342 Km<sup>2</sup> and a population of 10000 inhabitants. The headquarters of this subdivision are Tonga Town which is located 90 km from the Regional capital Bafoussam and 30 km from the divisional capital, Bangangte. Tonga is located along the Yaounde-Bafoussam road and is about 220 km from Yaounde the political capital of Cameroon.</p><p>The population is typically made up of 98% subsistent farmers producing food crops (rice cultivation, vegetables, and fruits) and cash crops like cocoa and coffee in small farms. It has a social welfare centre and 2 health centres (Tonga Catholic Health Centre, Maham Health Centre) and 1 medical doctor. There is no dental facility in this area and no oral health worker is known to have worked in this area. The climate is equatorially characterized by the alternation of two dry seasons and two rainy seasons.</p><sec id="sec2.1"><title>2.1. Study Population</title><p>The study population consisted of the elderly of 65 years and above (as indicated by their age in their national identity card and medical records) who live in Tonga regardless of the gender.</p><sec id="sec2.1.1"><title>2.1.1. Sampling</title><p>The patients were selected using a stratified sampling technique as one of the 3 communities (Tonga village) was selected for the sampling. Subjects were now selected from house to house; therefore all individuals in each stratum who fulfilled the study criteria were invited to participate. The sample size was known at the end of the study as all houses were visited. An interviewer administered questionnaires to collect information from the subjects followed by a clinical oral examination carried out on the subject on a portable dental couch in a suitable place in the subject's resident.</p></sec><sec id="sec2.1.2"><title>2.1.2. Inclusion Criteria</title><p>Inclusion criteria were only people of 65 years old and above, recently resident in Tonga permanently.</p></sec><sec id="sec2.1.3"><title>2.1.3. Exclusion Criteria</title><p>Exclusion criteria were individuals who refused to give their consent.</p></sec><sec id="sec2.1.4"><title>2.1.4. Data Collection</title><p>Data was collected using a structured open ended and closed ended questionnaire and a data captured sheet attached to the questionnaire for charting clinical examination results.</p><p>After obtaining administrative clearance, a door-to-door recruitment was done. Respondents were interviewed after reading and filling the consent form and their basic medical history obtained from the medical records and confirmed by an interview. Other pieces of information were obtained from a clinical examination out using examinations instruments under bright light. This included the examination of the oral hard and soft tissues and the presence and types of dental appliances in the oral cavity. Periodontal pockets were examined using a round ended graduated WHO periodontal probe.</p><p>The questionnaire was used for collecting information on the sociodemographic profile of the subjects, their general health status, their perception on their oral health, oral health seeking behaviour, mucosa, type of appliances used by the subject, and so forth.</p><p>Clinical examination was used in assessing possible risk factors and pathologies of oral pathologies using some indices as follows:<list list-type="simple"><list-item><label>(i)</label><p>The Silness and Loe's plaque index: to estimate the amount of soft and mineralized deposits on tooth surfaces, the scores were as follows:</p><p><list list-type="simple"><list-item><label> </label><p>0 = no plaque;</p></list-item><list-item><label> </label><p>1 = presence of a thin visible layer of plaque by scraping the surface of the tooth with periodontal probe;</p></list-item><list-item><label> </label><p>2 = plaque deposits visible to the eye;</p></list-item><list-item><label> </label><p>3 = significant accumulation of plaque on tooth surfaces.</p></list-item></list></p></list-item><list-item><label>(ii)</label><p>DMFT index (Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth): to determine the impact of dental caries on the teeth, we classified each tooth in one of the following categories:</p><p><list list-type="simple"><list-item><label> </label><p><italic>D</italic> stands for tooth decay. It is used for any tooth which is observed to have visible recurrent caries and broken crown as a result of tooth decay or retained roots.</p></list-item><list-item><label> </label><p><italic>M</italic> stands for missing tooth for any tooth that is lost as a result of tooth extraction or for any other reason.</p></list-item><list-item><label> </label><p><italic>F</italic> stands for filled tooth as any tooth that has a permanent filling intact with no sign of caries lesion.</p></list-item><list-item><label> </label><p><italic>N</italic> is number of persons examined.</p></list-item><list-item><label> </label><p>DMF index = <italic>D</italic> + <italic>M</italic> + <italic>F</italic>/<italic>N</italic>+ [<xref rid="B10" ref-type="bibr">11</xref>].</p></list-item></list></p></list-item><list-item><label>(iii)</label><p>The CPI (Community Periodontal Index): it was used to determine the periodontal status of the patients. It consists in dividing the mouth into six sextants and evaluating all teeth using a periodontal probe. Each sextant must have at least two functional teeth (i.e., teeth that are not extracted). Toothless sextants with just a functional tooth were considered absent and marked with “<italic>X</italic>” on the data captured sheet. The rating scale has five codes:</p><p><list list-type="simple"><list-item><label> </label><p>0 = healthy;</p></list-item><list-item><label> </label><p>1 = spontaneous bleeding;</p></list-item><list-item><label> </label><p>2 = calculus;</p></list-item><list-item><label> </label><p>3 = pocket depth of 4–6 mm;</p></list-item><list-item><label> </label><p>4 = pocket depth > 6 mm [<xref rid="B10" ref-type="bibr">11</xref>].</p></list-item></list></p></list-item></list></p></sec></sec><sec id="sec2.2"><title>2.2. Data Analysis</title><p>The data obtained were analysed using SPSS Version 17 software and Microsoft Excel 2007. The statistical test used was the Chi 2 with the significance level of <italic>p</italic> ≤ 0.05.</p><p>Ethical Clearance was obtained from the institutional research review board (Research and ethics committee) of the Université des Montagnes-Bangante. A research authorisation was obtained from the sub-divisional officer of Tonga and an informed consent from participants was also obtained (Appendices 2, 3, and 4).</p></sec></sec><sec id="sec3"><title>3. Results</title><sec id="sec3.1"><title>3.1. Demography</title><p>During our study the response rate was 97%; 183 persons aged between 65 and 94 years, with a mean age of 73 years ±7 s.d., 83 (45,4%) males, and 100 (54,6%) females participated in the study. The proportion of elderly people above 65 years old in Tonga was estimated to be 1.8% of the total population. Almost half 86 (47.3%) of the subjects were retired, 82 (45.1%) were farmers, 10 (5.46%) were house wife, and 5 (2.75%) are small traders.</p></sec><sec id="sec3.2"><title>3.2. The Age Range and Sex</title><p>The mean age was 77.5 years for women and 72.9 years for men. The most represented age range was 65–74 years (60.1%) (<xref ref-type="table" rid="tab1">Table 1</xref>).</p></sec><sec id="sec3.3"><title>3.3. General Health Status</title><p>Digestive disorders 60 (33%) and joint disease 57 (31%), 42 (23%) multiple pathologies, and 35 (19%) ophthalmic problems were the most frequent (<xref ref-type="fig" rid="fig1">Figure 1</xref>).</p></sec><sec id="sec3.4"><title>3.4. Oral Hygiene Status</title><p>More than a third 69 (38.0%) of the respondents had poor oral hygiene, 55 (32.1%) had good oral hygiene, and 55 (30.1%) were fair.</p><p>A third (36.5%) presented with plaque after scrabbling, the majority (41.4%) had visible dental plaque, and 12.7% had abundant plaque (<xref ref-type="fig" rid="fig2">Figure 2</xref>).</p></sec><sec id="sec3.5"><title>3.5. Oral Health Practice</title><sec id="sec3.5.1"><title>3.5.1. Toothbrushing Frequency</title><p>Three quarters 138 (75.4%) brush in the morning only, 36 (19.7%) had never brushed their mouth, and 9 (4.9%) brush in the morning and evening. All subjects brush before meals (<xref ref-type="fig" rid="fig3">Figure 3</xref>).</p><p>More than three quarters 143 (83.6%) of the subjects clean their mouth with a toothbrush, more than half 105 (57.4%) use toothpaste, almost half (42.6%) use the wood ash, 30 (16.4%) chew sticks, and only 1.6% use floss (<xref ref-type="table" rid="tab2">Table 2</xref>).</p></sec></sec><sec id="sec3.6"><title>3.6. Oral Pathologies</title><p>Three quarters 142 (78%) had gingivitis, 71 (39%) periodontitis, 56 (30%) dental caries, and 29 (15.8%) tooth wear (<xref ref-type="table" rid="tab3">Table 3</xref>).</p></sec><sec id="sec3.7"><title>3.7. Periodontal Status</title><p>Periodontal pocket of 4–6 mm is the most represented (39.3%) dental pathology. Eighteen (10%) of the patients had mobile teeth (<xref ref-type="fig" rid="fig4">Figure 4</xref>).</p><p>A third 56 (30%) did not have any carious tooth, 27 (14%) had 1 missing tooth, and 26 (14%) had two missing teeth. More than a third 70 (38.3%) of the subjects had not lost a tooth, 23 (12.6%) have lost 1 tooth, 19 (10.4%) have lost at least 2 teeth, and 17 (9.3%) had more than 10 missing teeth (<xref ref-type="table" rid="tab4">Table 4</xref>).</p></sec><sec id="sec3.8"><title>3.8. Filled Teeth</title><p>Only 1 (0.5%) patient had filled teeth.</p></sec><sec id="sec3.9"><title>3.9. DMFT Score</title><p>The majority had decayed teeth 127 (69, 4%), 112 (61, 7%) were with missing teeth, and 99 (54, 1%) were with teeth with total crown destruction.</p><p>The mean DMF index was 6.11.</p></sec><sec id="sec3.10"><title>3.10. Associated Risk Factors</title><p>The association between tooth decay and brushing only in the morning was statistically significant (<italic>p</italic> = 0,001). There was a strong association between tobacco consumption and tooth decay (<italic>p</italic> = 0,001) and also between visible dental plaque and pocket depth of 4–6 mm (<italic>p</italic> = 0,001) (<xref ref-type="table" rid="tab5">Table 5</xref>).</p></sec><sec id="sec3.11"><title>3.11. The Type of Edentulousness</title><p>More than half were partially edentulous, 100 (55.7%) at the maxilla and 98 (53.6%) at the mandible. A small proportion of the subjects were completely edentulous: 2 (1.1%) at the maxilla and 3 (1.6%) at the mandible (<xref ref-type="fig" rid="fig5">Figure 5</xref>).</p><p>The majority (96.2%) of the edentulous subjects did not wear dentures (<xref ref-type="fig" rid="fig6">Figure 6</xref>).</p></sec><sec id="sec3.12"><title>3.12. Barriers to Access to Oral Health Care Facilities</title><p>The main barrier of access to oral health care facilities were financial 124 (67.8%), distance from clinic 12 (6.5%), and no reasons in particular 47 (25.7%) (<xref ref-type="table" rid="tab6">Table 6</xref>).</p></sec></sec><sec id="sec4"><title>4. Discussion</title><p>This study was carried out to assess the oral health status of the elderly in Tonga, a typical rural setting in Cameroon.</p><sec id="sec4.1"><title>4.1. Sociodemographic Characters</title><p>This study showed that there was a female preponderance in the study group. These results support those of previous studies in which older women were predominantly represented [<xref rid="B2" ref-type="bibr">2</xref>]. The age group of 65–74 years is the most represented and the female was also dominant in this age groups. The reason for this female dominance is because most males are exposed to hazards during their active life and therefore die before old age. This is also reflected in the demographic pyramid of Cameroon where there are more males below the ages of 50 but more females above the ages of 55 [<xref rid="B13" ref-type="bibr">10</xref>].</p><p>The proportion of the elderly in the current study was estimated to be 1.8% of the entire study population; this is a deviation of the current demographic profile of the country that estimates the population of the elderly above 65 years to be 3.1% of the entire population [<xref rid="B13" ref-type="bibr">10</xref>]. The reasons for this could be that because of the improvement of the socioeconomic status of the country, many old people now reside in urban areas with their children where they are being catered for as culture demands that children should take care of the elderly; besides facilities for old people's home are nonexistent in the country. Old people stay with their children who are still procreating to cater for their grandchildren. It is not uncommon to find the elderly living with their children.</p><p>Most of the elderly were farmers and retired workers; this is because some Cameroon most civil servants who are still active, retire in the village because they can easily farm and live in a community which is less expensive and their immediate relations can cater for their immediate needs. The reasons for this are that the social security system of the country is not well developed to cater for the needs of the elderly [<xref rid="B7" ref-type="bibr">7</xref>].</p></sec><sec id="sec4.2"><title>4.2. General Health Status of Patients</title><p>The main systemic pathologies encountered amongst the elderly of our study were essentially digestive disorders, joint pains, ophthalmologic disorders, and cardiovascular diseases. This result is similar to that of Kanouté in Senegal who identified the main diseases encountered in these categories of persons, including heart disease, joint disease, and diabetes [<xref rid="B11" ref-type="bibr">12</xref>].</p></sec><sec id="sec4.3"><title>4.3. Oral Hygiene Status</title><p>Generally, the patients presented with poor oral hygiene and high calculus deposits. This is because in rural areas, dental services are completely absent and the distance to the nearest dental facility is very long. Besides, the culture of routine dental visits is not practiced in Cameroon. Most patients visit the clinic only when they have pain or an emergency dental problem [<xref rid="B12" ref-type="bibr">13</xref>].</p></sec><sec id="sec4.4"><title>4.4. Toothbrushing Frequency</title><p>Three quarters 138 (75.4%) brush in the morning only and 11.5% brush their teeth occasionally. This result is similar to Macqueronen in France which showed that 12% brushed their teeth occasionally [<xref rid="B14" ref-type="bibr">14</xref>]. He identified neglect as the main factor influencing the frequency of implementation of oral hygiene habits [<xref rid="B14" ref-type="bibr">14</xref>]. Apart from neglect, lack of oral health education or motivation was identified as the main cause of poor oral hygiene in our study.</p></sec><sec id="sec4.5"><title>4.5. Oral Hygiene Practices</title><p>The oral hygiene practices are far below standards. Apart from the use of tooth brushes and pastes in taking care of the oral hygiene, the elderly in the current study used materials like tooth picks, wood ashes and charcoal for their oral health care. These materials present with adverse effects on the hard and soft tissues of the teeth because of their abrasive nature. Chewing sticks is widely used for cleaning the teeth for religious [<xref rid="B15" ref-type="bibr">15</xref>] and socio-cultural reasons [<xref rid="B15" ref-type="bibr">15</xref>, <xref rid="B16" ref-type="bibr">16</xref>] in the West and Central Africa countries. Norton and Addy (1989) compared the effectiveness of toothbrushes with chewing sticks on the oral hygiene and gingival health of adult Ghanaians revealed that plaque and gingivitis scores were higher in the chewing stick users, although these were primarily due to differences in men [<xref rid="B16" ref-type="bibr">16</xref>]. Men had poorer oral hygiene and gingival health than women, irrespective of the oral hygiene regimen. The same differences were apparent for city and rural dwellers, with no overall differences observed between these two groups. They concluded that the longer time that is necessary for cleaning with chewing sticks may explain the apparent reduced cleaning efficiency in men [<xref rid="B16" ref-type="bibr">16</xref>]. The antimicrobial substances contained in chewing sticks appear to provide no additional benefits to those produced by the antimicrobial activity of commercially available toothpastes [<xref rid="B16" ref-type="bibr">16</xref>]. This is contrary to another study carried in Nigeria which revealed that there was no significant difference on the effectiveness of toothbrushes and chewing sticks; after a six-week intervention period, postintervention readings were taken. They further noted that slight improvements were detected in the gingival status of those using the chewing sticks relative to those in the group using toothbrush [<xref rid="B17" ref-type="bibr">17</xref>]. The fact that, in the current study, visible plaque was found on the surface of the teeth of almost half of the participants means that their brushing frequency and technique need to be improved; another reasons for high plaque accumulation is because in rural areas, dental services are completely absent and the distance to the nearest dental facility is very long. The average income in most dependent elderly in rural areas is very small and very few of them can afford a toothbrush and toothpastes. Toothbrushing patterns using chewing sticks or twigs should be studied, standardised, and improved so that chewing sticks should be encouraged to be used in resource poor settings.</p><p>The culture of routine dental visits is not practiced in Cameroon. Most patients visit the clinic only when they have pain or an emergency dental problem [<xref rid="B12" ref-type="bibr">13</xref>]. This was also reported by Macqueron in France who showed that 34% of the elderly presented with visible dental plaque [<xref rid="B14" ref-type="bibr">14</xref>].</p></sec><sec id="sec4.6"><title>4.6. Periodontal Status</title><p>In the current study, the periodontal status was generally poor as the patients presented with high calculus deposits and more than a third presented with periodontal pockets of 4–6 mm. This result is similar to a study carried out in Saudi Arabia where calculus was the most prevalent (48.2%) finding among the subjects and was significantly more prevalent in men. Bleeding on probing and periodontal pockets was recorded in 24.1% and 19.3% of the subjects, respectively, with no statistically significant difference between men and women [<xref rid="B18" ref-type="bibr">18</xref>]. The frequency of periodontal pockets was similar to the findings of Kanouté (10.0%) [<xref rid="B11" ref-type="bibr">12</xref>] and Vatsana in Vietnam (9.8%) [<xref rid="B19" ref-type="bibr">19</xref>]. Inappropriate brushing technique and poor hygiene could explain the reasons for the deep periodontal pockets >4 mm.</p></sec><sec id="sec4.7"><title>4.7. Dental Status</title><p>The mean DMF in this study falls within the high range. This number is lower than the one found by Kanouté in Senegal [<xref rid="B11" ref-type="bibr">12</xref>] and Norway [<xref rid="B20" ref-type="bibr">20</xref>]. This could be as a result of the diet in rural areas which mostly are unrefined and fibrous.</p><p>The prevalence of tooth decay in our study was high. This result is similar to other studies carried out in France, Canada, South Africa, and Senegal [<xref rid="B4" ref-type="bibr">4</xref>, <xref rid="B13" ref-type="bibr">10</xref>, <xref rid="B21" ref-type="bibr">21</xref>, <xref rid="B22" ref-type="bibr">22</xref>]. The level of education and access to oral health facilities of the population in these countries are different from that of Cameroon, which could explain why tooth decay is less common in Canada. Beside, most of these studies were carried in urban areas where health care facilities are easily accessible.</p></sec><sec id="sec4.8"><title>4.8. Missing Teeth, Teeth with Total Crown Destruction, and Filled Teeth</title><p>Tooth loss is always a result of tooth extraction and periodontal diseases. Severe periodontitis, which may cause tooth loss, is found in 5–15% of most populations [<xref rid="B23" ref-type="bibr">23</xref>]. The proportion of individuals with missing teeth in the current study is high as compared to another study carried out in France where the proportion of edentulousness was 26.9% [<xref rid="B24" ref-type="bibr">24</xref>]. This could be because of the high prevalence of periodontal diseases in rural areas. The current study demonstrated that 9.8% of subjects presented with mobile teeth which signifies that more teeth will be missing as the subjects grow older if intervention is not given. Lack of medical intervention is always neglected in rural communities in Cameroon because tooth loss and mobility is seen as a physiological process among the elderly. The high level of tooth mobility is because of ignorance about the causes of tooth loss and mobility as a result of periodontal diseases. It has also been observed that poor oral health status, together with a reduction of autonomy, can seriously affect the general health and increase the risk of death in elderly people [<xref rid="B23" ref-type="bibr">23</xref>].</p><p>More than half of the subjects in the present study presented with retained roots, a definite indication for tooth extractions. The fact that there are more people with missing teeth than people without missing teeth can be interpreted by the importance of the place of tooth extraction in our dental services. Indeed, in Cameroon, oral care is mainly dominated by tooth extractions [<xref rid="B25" ref-type="bibr">25</xref>].</p><p>The low rate of people with filled teeth demonstrates at a certain level, the low level of conservative treatment, delay diagnosis, and late presentation to the dental clinic at the stage where the tooth can no longer be restored which limits the patients to tooth extraction. This is a result of poor access to oral health care and inequalities in the distribution of the oral care workforce. It has been reported that, in some places in Cameroon, patients travel for at least 8 hours to get access to the nearest oral health care facility [<xref rid="B25" ref-type="bibr">25</xref>]; because of this, patients are obliged to visit traditional healers [<xref rid="B12" ref-type="bibr">13</xref>] or self-medicate [<xref rid="B27" ref-type="bibr">26</xref>].</p></sec><sec id="sec4.9"><title>4.9. The Type of Edentulousness and the Wearing of Dentures</title><p>The levels of edentulous at the maxilla and the mandible were very low as compared to other studies carried out in France and Kenya [<xref rid="B7" ref-type="bibr">7</xref>, <xref rid="B24" ref-type="bibr">24</xref>]. This could be explained by the fact that the majority of persons in our study have several teeth indicated for extraction.</p><p>The wearing of dental prosthesis is one of the factors that can improve the quality of life of the subjects. In the current study a very low proportion of the subjects had dentures. This might correspond to the low level of edentulousness reported in this study. This is very low compared to that of Agbor et al. in France (65.9%) [<xref rid="B29" ref-type="bibr">27</xref>]. This is because dental prosthesis is expensive and not affordable by people in developing countries where the socioeconomic level is low; besides access to oral health care is limited and the rehabilitation prosthetic techniques are limited and insufficient.</p></sec><sec id="sec4.10"><title>4.10. Barriers to Access to Oral Health Care Facility</title><p><italic>Finances</italic> and distance to the nearest health care facility are factors serving as barriers to access to oral health care facilities in most countries where there is inequality in oral health care delivery. This has been reported in Cameroon by Achembong et al. (2012) [<xref rid="B25" ref-type="bibr">25</xref>] and Agbor and Naidoo (2011) [<xref rid="B12" ref-type="bibr">13</xref>]. The nearest oral health care facility to Tonga is Bangangte which is 30 km away.</p><p>Some elderly people in the current study did not give any reasons for not attending a dental clinic. This might be because of ignorance, neglect, the utilisation of traditional and alternative medicine, and their nonbelief in orthodox medicine.</p></sec><sec id="sec4.11"><title>4.11. Associated/Common Risk Factors</title><p>Poor oral hygiene techniques and tobacco consumption where identified as risk factors for dental caries in the current study. This is similar to another study carried out in Fokoue a village in the west region of Cameroon where there was high caries rates amongst tobacco smokers. The subjects in the study also presented with poor oral hygiene [<xref rid="B29" ref-type="bibr">27</xref>].</p><p>The strong association between visible dental plaque and the periodontal pocket indicated that patients are not motivated and do not have access to basic oral health care. Therefore tobacco consumption and dental plaque can be noted as common risk factors in some dental problems and other systemic pathologies in the current study.</p></sec></sec><sec id="sec5"><title>5. Conclusion</title><p>The elderly in Tonga presented with many systematic pathologies as well as poor oral health status: the oral pathologies commonly encountered are tooth decay, missing teeth, teeth with total crown destruction, and deep periodontal pockets of 4–6 mm. The level of oral hygiene is low with high calculus deposits. Oral hygiene practices are also below standards. The level of edentulousness was very low but very few subjects have prosthetic appliances. Barriers to access to oral health care facilities are distance, finance, and lack of interest in consulting a dentist. The major reasons for these dental problems are gross inequalities as a result of inadequate impact of the oral health care work force and facilities in rural areas in Cameroon and also no programme to take care of the oral health needs of the elderly.</p><p><italic>Weakness of the Study</italic>. The oral health needs of the subjects and correlation of risk factors to specific diseases in the early was not also included. Only individuals resident in Tonga for at least 6 months were selected for the study.</p></sec><sec id="sec6"><title>Recommendation</title><p>Oral health care policy making organization should advocate the inclusion and implementation of programmes that will facilitate the promotion of oral health care in rural areas in Cameroon.</p><p>The elder should be given free or low cost care during outreaches or in government facilities.</p><p>Studies should be conducted in other demographic settings (urban, semiurban, and rural areas) in Cameroon to evaluate the oral health status, treatment needs, and quality of life of the elderly in Cameroon.</p><p>The district health care community of Tonga health district should organise dental screening, oral health education, and training for the elderly at least once a year.</p></sec><sec sec-type="supplementary-material" id="supplementary-material-sec"><title>Supplementary Material</title><supplementary-material content-type="local-data" id="f1"><caption><p>Map of Tonga.</p></caption><media xlink:href="820416.f1.pdf" mimetype="application" mime-subtype="pdf" orientation="portrait" id="d35e787" position="anchor"></media></supplementary-material></sec></body><back><sec sec-type="conflict"><title>Conflict of Interests</title><p>The authors declare that there is no conflict of interests regarding the publication of this paper.</p></sec><ref-list><ref id="B1"><label>1</label><element-citation publication-type="book"><person-group person-group-type="author"><name><surname>Vargas</surname><given-names>C. M.</given-names></name><name><surname>Kramarow</surname><given-names>E. A.</given-names></name><name><surname>Yellowitz</surname><given-names>J. A.</given-names></name></person-group><source><italic>The Oral Health of Older Americans. Aging Trends; No.3</italic></source><year>2001</year><publisher-loc>Hyattsville, Md, USA</publisher-loc><publisher-name>National Center for Health Statistics</publisher-name></element-citation></ref><ref id="B2"><label>2</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><person-group person-group-type="author"><name><surname>Riesen</surname><given-names>M.</given-names></name><name><surname>Chung</surname><given-names>J. P.</given-names></name><name><surname>Pazos</surname><given-names>E.</given-names></name><name><surname>Budtz-Jorgensen</surname><given-names>E.</given-names></name></person-group><article-title>Interventions buccodentaires chez les personnes âgées</article-title><source><italic>Revue Médicale Suisse</italic></source><year>2014</year><volume>2414</volume><fpage>1</fpage><lpage>13</lpage></element-citation></ref><ref id="B3"><label>3</label><element-citation publication-type="book"><collab>World Health Organization</collab><source><italic>Active Aging in Good Health</italic></source><year>2012</year><publisher-loc>Geneva, Switzerland</publisher-loc><publisher-name>World Health Organization (WHO)</publisher-name></element-citation></ref><ref id="B4"><label>4</label><element-citation publication-type="book"><person-group person-group-type="author"><name><surname>Robert</surname><given-names>B.</given-names></name><name><surname>Mark</surname><given-names>H.</given-names></name></person-group><source><italic>Merck Manual of Geriatrics</italic></source><year>2000</year><edition>3rd</edition><publisher-loc>Kenilworth, NJ, USA</publisher-loc><publisher-name>Merck & Co.</publisher-name></element-citation></ref><ref id="B5"><label>5</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><person-group person-group-type="author"><name><surname>Petersen</surname><given-names>P. E.</given-names></name></person-group><article-title>Improvement of oral health in Africa in the 21st century—the role of the WHO Global Oral Health Programme</article-title><source><italic>Developing Dentistry</italic></source><year>2004</year><volume>5</volume><issue>1</issue></element-citation></ref><ref id="B6"><label>6</label><element-citation publication-type="book"><collab>National Institute of Statistics</collab><article-title>The population of Cameroon in 2010</article-title><source><italic>Third Cameroon household survey (ECAM III)</italic></source><year>2010</year><publisher-name>National Institute of Statistics</publisher-name><fpage>2</fpage><lpage>5</lpage></element-citation></ref><ref id="B7"><label>7</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><person-group person-group-type="author"><name><surname>Ngatia</surname><given-names>E. M.</given-names></name><name><surname>Gathece</surname><given-names>L. W.</given-names></name><name><surname>Macigo</surname><given-names>F. G.</given-names></name><name><surname>Mulli</surname><given-names>T. K.</given-names></name><name><surname>Mutara</surname><given-names>L. N.</given-names></name><name><surname>Wagaiyu</surname><given-names>E. G.</given-names></name></person-group><article-title>Nutritional and oral health status of an elderly population in Nairobi</article-title><source><italic>East African Medical Journal</italic></source><year>2008</year><volume>85</volume><issue>8</issue><fpage>378</fpage><lpage>385</lpage><pub-id pub-id-type="other">2-s2.0-56449126963</pub-id><pub-id pub-id-type="pmid">19115555</pub-id></element-citation></ref><ref id="B8"><label>8</label><element-citation publication-type="book"><collab>United Nations (UN)</collab><source><italic>Fourth Report on the World Nutrition Situation</italic></source><year>2000</year><publisher-name>United Nations (UN)</publisher-name></element-citation></ref><ref id="B9"><label>9</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><collab>WHO</collab><article-title>Global goals for oral health in the year 2000</article-title><source><italic>FDI—International Dental Journal</italic></source><year>1982</year><volume>32</volume><fpage>74</fpage><lpage>77</lpage></element-citation></ref><ref id="B13"><label>10</label><element-citation publication-type="other"><comment>Index mundi, Cameroon Age structure, May 2015, <ext-link ext-link-type="uri" xlink:href="http://www.indexmundi.com/cameroon/age_structure.html">http://www.indexmundi.com/cameroon/age_structure.html</ext-link></comment></element-citation></ref><ref id="B10"><label>11</label><element-citation publication-type="book"><collab>Malmo University</collab><source><italic>Oral Health Database</italic></source><year>2015</year><publisher-name>Malmo University</publisher-name><comment><ext-link ext-link-type="uri" xlink:href="http://www.mah.se/CAPP/Methods-and-Indices/for-Caries-prevalence/">http://www.mah.se/CAPP/Methods-and-Indices/for-Caries-prevalence/</ext-link></comment></element-citation></ref><ref id="B11"><label>12</label><element-citation publication-type="book"><person-group person-group-type="author"><name><surname>Kanouté</surname><given-names>A.</given-names></name></person-group><source><italic>Evaluation de l'état de santé bucco-dentaire des personnes âgées en consultation général dans des centres de santé de la région médicale de Dakar [Thesis in Dental Surgery]</italic></source><year>2007</year><publisher-loc>Dakar, Senegal</publisher-loc><publisher-name>Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar</publisher-name></element-citation></ref><ref id="B12"><label>13</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><person-group person-group-type="author"><name><surname>Agbor</surname><given-names>A. M.</given-names></name><name><surname>Naidoo</surname><given-names>S.</given-names></name></person-group><article-title>Knowledge and practice of traditional healers in oral health in the Bui Division, Cameroon</article-title><source><italic>Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine</italic></source><year>2011</year><volume>7, article 6</volume><pub-id pub-id-type="doi">10.1186/1746-4269-7-6</pub-id><pub-id pub-id-type="other">2-s2.0-78651373510</pub-id></element-citation></ref><ref id="B14"><label>14</label><element-citation publication-type="thesis"><person-group person-group-type="author"><name><surname>Macqueron</surname><given-names>N.</given-names></name></person-group><source><italic>L'état bucco-dentaire dans les EHPAD en France [Thesis in Dental Surgery]</italic></source><year>2013</year></element-citation></ref><ref id="B15"><label>15</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><person-group person-group-type="author"><name><surname>Agbor</surname><given-names>M. A.</given-names></name><name><surname>Azodo</surname><given-names>C. C.</given-names></name></person-group><article-title>Assessment of chewing stick (miswak) use in a Muslim community in Cameroon</article-title><source><italic>European Journal of General Dentistry</italic></source><year>2013</year><volume>2</volume><issue>1</issue><fpage>50</fpage><lpage>53</lpage><pub-id pub-id-type="doi">10.4103/2278-9626.106811</pub-id></element-citation></ref><ref id="B16"><label>16</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><person-group person-group-type="author"><name><surname>Norton</surname><given-names>M. R.</given-names></name><name><surname>Addy</surname><given-names>M.</given-names></name></person-group><article-title>Chewing sticks versus toothbrushes in West Africa. A pilot study</article-title><source><italic>Clinical Preventive Dentistry</italic></source><year>1989</year><volume>11</volume><issue>3</issue><fpage>11</fpage><lpage>13</lpage><pub-id pub-id-type="other">2-s2.0-0024657699</pub-id><pub-id pub-id-type="pmid">2605858</pub-id></element-citation></ref><ref id="B17"><label>17</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><person-group person-group-type="author"><name><surname>Aderinokun</surname><given-names>G. A.</given-names></name><name><surname>Lawoyin</surname><given-names>J. O.</given-names></name><name><surname>Onyeaso</surname><given-names>C. O.</given-names></name></person-group><article-title>Effect of two common Nigerian chewing sticks on gingival health and oral hygiene</article-title><source><italic>Odontostomatologie Tropicale</italic></source><year>1999</year><volume>22</volume><issue>87</issue><fpage>13</fpage><lpage>18</lpage><pub-id pub-id-type="other">2-s2.0-0033188375</pub-id></element-citation></ref><ref id="B18"><label>18</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><person-group person-group-type="author"><name><surname>Al-Sinaidi</surname><given-names>A. A.</given-names></name></person-group><article-title>Periodontal health and oral hygiene practice of elderly Saudis living at Riyadh Nursing Home</article-title><source><italic>King Saud University Journal of Dental Sciences</italic></source><year>2012</year><volume>3</volume><issue>1</issue><fpage>1</fpage><lpage>5</lpage><pub-id pub-id-type="doi">10.1016/j.ksujds.2011.10.005</pub-id></element-citation></ref><ref id="B19"><label>19</label><element-citation publication-type="book"><person-group person-group-type="author"><name><surname>Vatsana</surname><given-names>C.</given-names></name></person-group><source><italic>The Oral Health of Elderly Population in Vietnam</italic></source><year>1989</year><publisher-name>Thèsesodonto-Stomatologie</publisher-name></element-citation></ref><ref id="B20"><label>20</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><person-group person-group-type="author"><name><surname>Henriksen</surname><given-names>B. M.</given-names></name><name><surname>Ambjørnsen</surname><given-names>E.</given-names></name><name><surname>Axéll</surname><given-names>T.</given-names></name></person-group><article-title>Dental caries among the elderly in Norway</article-title><source><italic>Acta Odontologica Scandinavica</italic></source><year>2004</year><volume>62</volume><issue>2</issue><fpage>75</fpage><lpage>81</lpage><pub-id pub-id-type="doi">10.1080/00016350310008580</pub-id><pub-id pub-id-type="other">2-s2.0-2442583206</pub-id><pub-id pub-id-type="pmid">15198386</pub-id></element-citation></ref><ref id="B21"><label>21</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><person-group person-group-type="author"><name><surname>Koivogui</surname><given-names>A.</given-names></name><name><surname>Michelet</surname><given-names>A.</given-names></name><name><surname>Ndiaye</surname><given-names>G.</given-names></name><name><surname>Modoianu</surname><given-names>L.</given-names></name><name><surname>Barro</surname><given-names>S.</given-names></name><name><surname>Laurendon</surname><given-names>C.</given-names></name></person-group><article-title>Etat buccodentaire et antécédent pathologiques dans une cohorte de personnes âgées institutionnalisée en région Rhône, France</article-title><source><italic>La Revue de la Gériatrie France</italic></source><year>2013</year><volume>38</volume><fpage>2</fpage><lpage>15</lpage></element-citation></ref><ref id="B22"><label>22</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><person-group person-group-type="author"><name><surname>Molete</surname><given-names>M. P.</given-names></name><name><surname>Yengopal</surname><given-names>V.</given-names></name><name><surname>Moorman</surname><given-names>J.</given-names></name></person-group><article-title>Oral health needs and barriers toaccessing care among the elderly in Johannesburg</article-title><source><italic>Journal of the South African Dental Association</italic></source><year>2014</year><volume>69</volume><issue>8</issue><fpage>352</fpage><lpage>357</lpage><pub-id pub-id-type="pmid">26548224</pub-id></element-citation></ref><ref id="B23"><label>23</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><person-group person-group-type="author"><name><surname>Petersen</surname><given-names>P. E.</given-names></name></person-group><article-title>Improvement of oral health in Africa in the 21st century—the role of the WHO Global Oral Health Programme</article-title><source><italic>Developing Dentistry</italic></source><year>2004</year><volume>5</volume><issue>1</issue><fpage>1</fpage><lpage>3</lpage></element-citation></ref><ref id="B24"><label>24</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><person-group person-group-type="author"><name><surname>Tramini</surname><given-names>P.</given-names></name><name><surname>Montal</surname><given-names>S.</given-names></name><name><surname>Valcarcel</surname><given-names>J.</given-names></name></person-group><article-title>Tooth loss and associated factors in long-term institutionalised elderly patients</article-title><source><italic>Gerodontology</italic></source><year>2007</year><volume>24</volume><issue>4</issue><fpage>196</fpage><lpage>203</lpage><pub-id pub-id-type="doi">10.1111/j.1741-2358.2007.00183.x</pub-id><pub-id pub-id-type="other">2-s2.0-38449111090</pub-id><pub-id pub-id-type="pmid">17999730</pub-id></element-citation></ref><ref id="B25"><label>25</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><person-group person-group-type="author"><name><surname>Achembong</surname><given-names>L. N.</given-names></name><name><surname>Ashu</surname><given-names>A. M.</given-names></name><name><surname>Hagopian</surname><given-names>A.</given-names></name><name><surname>Downer</surname><given-names>A.</given-names></name><name><surname>Barnhart</surname><given-names>S.</given-names></name></person-group><article-title>Cameroon mid-level providers offer a promising public health dentistry model</article-title><source><italic>Human Resources for Health</italic></source><year>2012</year><volume>10, article 46</volume><pub-id pub-id-type="doi">10.1186/1478-4491-10-46</pub-id><pub-id pub-id-type="other">2-s2.0-84869885548</pub-id></element-citation></ref><ref id="B27"><label>26</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><person-group person-group-type="author"><name><surname>Agbor</surname><given-names>M. A.</given-names></name><name><surname>Azodo</surname><given-names>C. C.</given-names></name></person-group><article-title>Self medication for oral health problems in Cameroon</article-title><source><italic>International Dental Journal</italic></source><year>2011</year><volume>61</volume><issue>4</issue><fpage>204</fpage><lpage>209</lpage><pub-id pub-id-type="doi">10.1111/j.1875-595x.2011.00058.x</pub-id><pub-id pub-id-type="other">2-s2.0-80051863999</pub-id><pub-id pub-id-type="pmid">21851352</pub-id></element-citation></ref><ref id="B29"><label>27</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><person-group person-group-type="author"><name><surname>Agbor</surname><given-names>M. A.</given-names></name><name><surname>Azodo</surname><given-names>C. C.</given-names></name><name><surname>Tefouet</surname><given-names>T. S. M.</given-names></name></person-group><article-title>Smokeless tobacco use, tooth loss and oral health issues among adults in Cameroon</article-title><source><italic>African Health Sciences</italic></source><year>2013</year><volume>13</volume><issue>3</issue><fpage>785</fpage><lpage>790</lpage><pub-id pub-id-type="doi">10.4314/ahs.v13i3.38</pub-id><pub-id pub-id-type="other">2-s2.0-84883732950</pub-id><pub-id pub-id-type="pmid">24250322</pub-id></element-citation></ref></ref-list></back><floats-group><fig id="fig1" orientation="portrait" position="float"><label>Figure 1</label><caption><p>Distribution of the study population according to the general pathologies frequently encountered.</p></caption><graphic xlink:href="IJD2015-820416.001"></graphic></fig><fig id="fig2" orientation="portrait" position="float"><label>Figure 2</label><caption><p>Distribution of population according to the amount of plaque present.</p></caption><graphic xlink:href="IJD2015-820416.002"></graphic></fig><fig id="fig3" orientation="portrait" position="float"><label>Figure 3</label><caption><p>Distribution of the study population according to the toothbrushing frequency.</p></caption><graphic xlink:href="IJD2015-820416.003"></graphic></fig><fig id="fig4" orientation="portrait" position="float"><label>Figure 4</label><caption><p>Distribution of the study population according to the periodontal status.</p></caption><graphic xlink:href="IJD2015-820416.004"></graphic></fig><fig id="fig5" orientation="portrait" position="float"><label>Figure 5</label><caption><p>Distribution of the study population according to the type of edentulous.</p></caption><graphic xlink:href="IJD2015-820416.005"></graphic></fig><fig id="fig6" orientation="portrait" position="float"><label>Figure 6</label><caption><p>Distribution according to the wearing of dentures.</p></caption><graphic xlink:href="IJD2015-820416.006"></graphic></fig><table-wrap id="tab1" orientation="portrait" position="float"><label>Table 1</label><caption><p>Distribution of the study population according to the age range and sex.</p></caption><table frame="hsides" rules="groups"><thead><tr><th align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Age range</th><th align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Men <italic>N</italic> (%)</th><th align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Women <italic>N</italic> (%)</th><th align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Total</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">[65–74]</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">61 (73,5%)</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">49 (79%)</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">110 (60,1%)</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">[75–84]</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">17 (20,5%)</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">44 (44%)</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">61 (33,1%)</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">[>85]</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">5 (6%)</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">7 (7%)</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">12 (3,3%)</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Total</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">83 (45,4%)</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">100 (54,6%)</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">183 (100%)</td></tr></tbody></table></table-wrap><table-wrap id="tab2" orientation="portrait" position="float"><label>Table 2</label><caption><p>Distribution of the study population according to the oral hygiene practices.</p></caption><table frame="hsides" rules="groups"><thead><tr><th align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Hygiene practice</th><th align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Frequency (<italic>n</italic>)</th><th align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Percentage (%)</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Toothpick</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">180</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">98.4</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Toothbrush</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">153</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">83.6</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Toothpaste</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">105</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">57.4</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Wood ash</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">78</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">42.6</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Twig (chewing stick)</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">30</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">16.4</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Floss</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">3</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">1.6</td></tr></tbody></table></table-wrap><table-wrap id="tab3" orientation="portrait" position="float"><label>Table 3</label><caption><p>Oral pathologies.</p></caption><table frame="hsides" rules="groups"><thead><tr><th align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Pathology</th><th align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Frequency</th><th align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Percentage</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Gingivitis</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">142</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">78%</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">periodontitis</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">71</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">39%</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Dental caries</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">56</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">30%</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Tooth wear</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">29</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">15.8%</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Tooth mobility</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">18</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">10%</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Oral mucosa lesions</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">16</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">9%</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Oral cancer</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">2</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">1,1%</td></tr></tbody></table></table-wrap><table-wrap id="tab4" orientation="portrait" position="float"><label>Table 4</label><caption><p>Pathologies related to caries.</p></caption><table frame="hsides" rules="groups"><thead><tr><th align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Carious teeth</th><th align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Frequency</th><th align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Percentage (%)</th><th align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1"> Missing teeth</th><th align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Frequency</th><th align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Percentage (%)</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">0</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">56</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">30,6</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">0</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">70</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">38,3</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">1</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">27</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">14,8</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">1</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">23</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">12,6</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">2</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">26</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">14,2</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">2</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">19</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">10,4</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">3</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">15</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">8,2</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">3</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">10</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">5,5</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">4</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">13</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">7,1</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">4</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">16</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">8,7</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">5</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">14</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">7,7</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">5</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">6</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">3,3</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">6</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">8</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">4,4</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">6</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">11</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">6,0</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">7</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">9</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">4,9</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">7</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">5</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">2,7</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">8</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">6</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">3,3</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">8</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">3</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">1,6</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">9</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">3</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">1,6</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">9</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">3</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">1,6</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">≥10</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">6</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">3.2%</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">≥10</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">17</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">9,3</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1"><bold>Total</bold></td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1"><bold>183</bold></td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1"><bold>100%</bold></td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1"><bold>Total</bold></td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1"><bold>183</bold></td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1"><bold>100%</bold></td></tr></tbody></table></table-wrap><table-wrap id="tab5" orientation="portrait" position="float"><label>Table 5</label><caption><p>Carious pathology according to the associated factors.</p></caption><table frame="hsides" rules="groups"><thead><tr><th align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Features</th><th align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Caries</th><th align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">No caries</th><th align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1"><italic>p</italic> value</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Brushing only in the morning</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">92 (72.4)</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">37 (66)</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">0.001</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Visible dental plaque</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">24 (18.9)</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">51 (91)</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">0.5</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Tobacco</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">27 (21.3)</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">16 (28.6)</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">0.001</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Alcohol</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">48 (37.8)</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">52 (92.8)</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">0.11</td></tr></tbody></table></table-wrap><table-wrap id="tab6" orientation="portrait" position="float"><label>Table 6</label><caption><p>Distribution of the study population according to the accessibility factors to oral care.</p></caption><table frame="hsides" rules="groups"><thead><tr><th align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Barriers </th><th align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Number (<italic>N</italic>)</th><th align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Percentage (%)</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Finance</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">124</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">67.8</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Distance from clinic</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">12</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">6.5</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">None</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">47</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">25.7</td></tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Total </td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">183</td><td align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">100</td></tr></tbody></table></table-wrap></floats-group></pmc></record>Pour manipuler ce document sous Unix (Dilib)
EXPLOR_STEP=$WICRI_ROOT/Wicri/Santé/explor/EdenteV2/Data/Pmc/Corpus
HfdSelect -h $EXPLOR_STEP/biblio.hfd -nk 002D971 | SxmlIndent | more
Ou
HfdSelect -h $EXPLOR_AREA/Data/Pmc/Corpus/biblio.hfd -nk 002D971 | SxmlIndent | more
Pour mettre un lien sur cette page dans le réseau Wicri
{{Explor lien
|wiki= Wicri/Santé
|area= EdenteV2
|flux= Pmc
|étape= Corpus
|type= RBID
|clé=
|texte=
}}
| This area was generated with Dilib version V0.6.32. |  |