The validity of self-reported oral health status in the elderly.
The validity of self-reported number of teeth was assessed in a random sample of 50 individuals aged 70+ by comparing self-reports in a telephone interview with results of a subsequent in-home examination by a dentist. There were no significant differences between self-report and examination data, nor was there any systematic under- or over-counting of teeth as the actual number of teeth increased. These data support the validity of self-reported dentition.
Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA 02115.
C W
CW
Douglass
J
J
Berlin
S
S
Tennstedt
D000368:Aged; D001900:Boston; D003817:Dentition; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008334:Mandible; D008437:Maxilla; D009909:Oral Health; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012650:Self Disclosure; D016388:Tooth Loss