A comparison of oral health in 70-year-old city cohorts in Umeå northern Sweden in 1981 and 1990: oral problems, dental and periodontal status.
A comparison of oral health in two different samples of 70-year-old men and women living in the city of Umeå in 1981 and 1990 showed that a higher frequency of dental visits among men could be expected in the city population in 1990 (95% CI). The frequency and pattern of reported oral problems was similar in 1981 and 1990. Total edentulousness among men and women in 1981/1990 was 31.3/21.4 and 53.5/35.7% respectively. The lower frequency in 1990 was not statistically significant on the population level. The mean number of teeth was lower in dentated men (12.8 +/- 6.0 V.S. 17.4 +/- 5.4) (p < 0.05) and women (16.9 +/- 6.3 V.S. 13.9 +/- 8.4) (n.s.) in 1990 compared with in 1981 and the functional index according to Eichner showed no difference. Thus, the lower frequency of edentulousness in 1990 mainly seemed to be the result of another distribution of about the same total amount of teeth, on more people. The bleeding index showed values around 30% in both cohorts. Both men and women showed less recurrent caries in 1990 (p < or = 0.05). Men showed a higher number of missing teeth (p < or = 0.01) and of decayed root surfaces (p < or = 0.05) in 1990. The latter might be explained by a larger exposed root surface area which was indicated by a higher frequency (n.s.) of surfaces with an attachment level > 3 mm in the cohort examined in 1990. Although, the compared 70-year-old city cohorts in Umeå examined in 1981 and 199 showed a higher frequency of dental visits and of dentated subjects, no improvement in reported oral health or dental status could be found in the 70-year-old in Umeå in 1990.
Nordström
G
G
Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, Faculty of Odontology, University of Umeå, Sweden.
Bergman
B
B
Tillberg
A
A
Osterlind
P O
PO
D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003729:Dental Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005884:Gingival Hemorrhage / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007576:Jaw, Edentulous, Partially / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009066:Mouth, Edentulous / Q000453:epidemiology; D009909:Oral Health; D017622:Periodontal Attachment Loss / Q000453:epidemiology; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010512:Periodontal Index; D017213:Root Caries / Q000453:epidemiology; D012737:Sex Factors; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D014076:Tooth Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016388:Tooth Loss / Q000453:epidemiology; D014504:Urban Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data