Depressive Symptoms Associated with Tooth Loss in Elderly Patients Admitted to the San Francisco de Asís Nursing Home in Santo Domingo

Published: 22 October 2025| Version 1 | DOI: 10.17632/8z65rrs2mp.1
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Description

Oral health significantly influences people's overall well-being, particularly among older adults. Various instruments have been developed in dentistry to assess the impact of oral health on areas such as self-esteem, social interaction, and quality of life. Tooth loss is not only an aesthetic or functional issue; it also profoundly impacts the emotional state of geriatric patients, causing symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. Tooth loss can also affect nutrition, phonetics, and communication. This study, conducted at the San Francisco de Asís Nursing Home in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, aimed to evaluate the relationship between oral health and depressive symptoms in older adult patients. The results revealed that most participants were men (57.5%) with an average age of 75.7 years. 49.2% had poor oral hygiene, and 45% had lost all their teeth. Regarding emotional state, 43.3% experienced mild depression, 13.3% experienced moderate depression, and severe cases were rare (0.8%). Based on these results, we concluded that oral health and tooth loss are significantly related to the emotional state of older adult patients.

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We conducted an exhaustive search on various search engines, such as PubMed, Scielo, Elsevier, and Scopus, to gather useful information for our research. Additionally, we conducted fieldwork at a nursing home for elderly adults of both sexes, aged 60 and over, with total or partial tooth loss. We used the Oleary Index, ICDAS, PHQ-9, and GOHAI instruments to determine if there is a significant relationship between oral health and tooth presence and the emotional state of elderly patients.

Institutions

Universidad Nacional Pedro Henriquez Urena

Categories

Geriatrics, Depression, Emotional Stress, Tooth

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