Salud bucal y sus determinantes en adultos mayores del área Centro del municipio Sancti Spíritus

Background: the health-disease process in the elderly is directly influenced by the determinants of health, with dental care for the elderly being a priority in the health sector. Objective: to characterize oral health and its determinants in elderly persons in the Center area of the Sancti Spiritus municipality. Methods: a descriptive observational cross-sectional study was carried out in patients over 60 years of age, belonging to the downtown area of the city of Sancti Spiritus, in the period from September, 2018 to February, 2019. The universe consisted of 7,356 patients and a sample of 180, which was determined through simple random probability sampling. Results: the female sex predominated with 60 %, with the age group from 60 to 64 years being the most presented. The most prevalent oral disease was periodontal disease, followed by masticatory dysfunction. Among the risk factors, the most present was smoking, in addition to poor oral hygiene and consumption of sugary foods respectively. The level of knowledge on oral health turned out to be poor in the majority of the population. Conclusions: more than half of the population presented periodontal disease, as risk factors prevailed smoking, poor oral hygiene and the level of knowledge on oral health that turned out to be poor. DeCS: ORAL HEALTH; SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH; PERIODONTAL DISEASES; AGED; OBSERVATIONAL STUDY.