Abstract
Objectives: This study aimed to assess the association between the use of dentures by the elderly and the prevalence of depression by using the original data from the 2017 Community Health Survey as basic data for the promotion of oral health and oral health policy development in the elderly. Methods: The study subjects were 67,835 elderly over 65 years of age. The raw data were collected from 2017 Community Health Survey in Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Results: Among the demographic and sociological characteristics, the higher the age, the lower the educational level, the worse the subjective health level, and the higher the denture use. The higher the age, the lower the education level, the lower the income level, the worse the subjective health level, the more stress they have, the more sleep time, and the higher the prevalence of depression. The association between the use of dentures and the prevalence of depression was 1.071 times higher than that of not using dentures, and it was found that the prevalence of depression was affected. Conclusions: As a result, it was confirmed that the use of dentures influenced the prevalence of depression. Institutional support will be needed to establish a national-level prevention policy that can maintain and promote healthy oral conditions and prevent the need dentures in the elderly.
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