[Complete removable dentures and the elderly at I.O.S., Dakar].

INTRODUCTION: At I.O.S. Dakar, we have taken an essential interest in elderly persons with functional disorders, aesthetic and psychological. We have fixed the following objectives: to evaluate the importance of the elderly person in our surgery to define the major characteristics of this category of patient to single out the specific aspects of the restorative denture to make our teaching programmes more relevant. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two complementary axes: a retrospective statistical descriptive study carried out on the records of patients at P.A.C. of I.O.S. during the previous three academic years of patients at P.A.C. of I.O.S. during the previous three academic years 1986-87, 88-89, 89-90. an analysis of the records based on the following variables: age, sex, place of living, occupation, type of complete attached dentures additionally, certain particular aspects of these patients have been studied. SELECTION CRITERIA: We have studied patients over 55 years of age who have either a single or bimaxillary replacement. VARIABLES STUDIED: two types of denture: unimaxillary CAD and bimaxillary CAD our patients were classed as: urban--living in Dakar and Goree rural--coming from surrounding villages suburban--those coming from Pikine, Parcelles Assainies, Rufisque. for occupation: first sector--agriculture, fishing second sector--industrial or conversion workers third sector--service workers or tradesmen, housewives, pensioners, others. RESULTS AND COMMENTARY: the sex ratio is closely akin to that of the general population the majority of patients live in Dakar these are mainly housewives, retired people who could regularly attend our consultations and stay the course of our treatment, prosthetic restorations are complete attached bimaxillary dentures (79.14%). Clinical specifications: On a local clinical level, the total toothlessness of the elderly presents as: a muscular hypotomy, a loss of the vertical dimension of occlusion, a marked increase in nasal and oral fissures, a stiffening of the articular structures, a great reduction of osteo-mucus in the residual edges, a spreading of the tongue which invades the oral cavity, a loss of occlusive memory, Bearing on therapy and teaching: good clinical observation, constant reference to the medical services, appropriate surgery prior to denture fitting. CONCLUSION: This study shows us that at I.O.S. Dakar, persons over 55 coming to consult us are most often city dwellars and often housewives or retired people. The major purpose of these visits is functional. The minute failure rate encountered over these three years has led us to believe that prosthesis enjoys high esteem thanks to the raised criteria of competence, of knowledge and of the patience of the whole team.