title: [The oral health status and dental care of adults with limited incomes].
abstract: The aim of the present study was to assess oral health conditions and the level of dental care of 151 patients of the Public Dental Clinic of Zurich in order to evaluate the necessity of dental treatment. The patients examined had a mean age of 70.6 years (range 50 to 94 years) and they went to the clinic either for the first time or had been treated or examined more than two years ago. 83% of the patients lived in the city of Zurich, and 17% in the state of Zurich. 20% of the patients had a general dental check-up every year while 80% only looked for dental care when particularly needed. This fact was reflected by the generally bad oral health conditions presented by the 151 patients: 26% of the remaining teeth had carious lesions. 32% of the restorations were insufficient. 80% of the probing sites showed an average probing depth greater than 3 mm. 80% of the patients had a complete natural dentition or were partially edentulous. The partially edentulous group had an average loss of 59% of the originally present natural teeth. Of the 2492 (100%) lost teeth, 17% were not replaced, 3% were replaced by fixed and 80% by removable prosthodontics. These results indicate that restorative and reconstructive dentistry still represents a major part of dental treatments performed in the Public Dental Clinic of Zurich.
authors.affiliation: Kantonale Volkszahnklinik Zürich.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Brunner
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Busin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004245:DMF Index; D016321:Dental Care for Aged; D003778:Dentures; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009909:Oral Health; D009911:Oral Hygiene Index; D010512:Periodontal Index; D011203:Poverty; D013557:Switzerland
vernacular_title: Oraler Gesundheitszustand und zahnärztliche Versorgung von minderbemittelten Erwachsenen.