title: Dental caries, restoration and tooth conditions in U.S. adults, 1988-1991. Selected findings from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
abstract: This article provides estimates of dental caries experience and selected restorative and tooth conditions among U.S. adults, obtained from Phase 1 (1988-1991) of the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Between 1988 and 1991, 94 percent of adults in the United States showed evidence of past or present coronal caries. Based on the data collected, the authors estimate that about 40.5 percent, or 61.6 million, dentate adults had at least one tooth or tooth space that could potentially benefit from professional treatment. Minimally, it is estimated that 135.6 million tooth or tooth spaces among U.S. adults may benefit from professional treatment. These estimates supplement information available from the DMF index to provide a broader profile of the impact of dental caries on permanent tooth of U.S. adults.
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology and Oral Disease Prevention, National Institute of Dental Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md., USA.
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Winn
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: White
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000368:Aged; D003442:Crowns / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D003753:Dental Health Surveys; D003829:Denture, Partial / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D017213:Root Caries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D014076:Tooth Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data