title: Tooth loss and caries prevalence in older Floridians attending senior activity centers.
abstract: Older adults attending 14 senior activity centers in six countries of Florida cooperated for a questionnaire and an oral examination. The mean age was 76.5 yr, and about one-third were 80 yr or older. One-third of the dentate persons had dental caries. Most of the carious lesions were on the crown, not the root, and most of the decay was primary, not recurrent. Most of the persons with a need for caries treatment were likely to seek dental care; however, the majority of carious surfaces were in persons who reported being infrequent users of care. These results from ambulatory older adults suggest that older adults have significant caries treatment needs, and provide support for the view that the treatment of older U.S. adults may grow in the coming decades.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, College of Dentistry, University of Florida, Gainesville 32610.
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Heft
authors.forename: G H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Gilbert
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004245:DMF Index; D003631:Day Care, Medical; D003729:Dental Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D007576:Jaw, Edentulous, Partially / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009066:Mouth, Edentulous / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D016388:Tooth Loss / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014092:Tooth Root