Tooth loss and need for extractions in American Indian and Alaska Native dental patients.
OBJECTIVE
This article reports results of the 1991 Indian Health Service Patient Oral Health Survey in the areas of tooth loss and need for tooth extraction.


METHODS
The survey examined a sample of American Indian and Alaska Native dental patients. Tooth loss and need for tooth extraction are explored for a total of 12,349 individuals aged 18 years and older.


RESULTS
Complete tooth loss in patients aged 35 years and older was 11 percent; in patients aged 65 years and older, it was 42 percent. The mean number of remaining teeth in dentate patients aged 35 years and older was 20.7; the mean number of remaining teeth decreased in each older age group. Partial and complete tooth loss were more severe in diabetic patients. In 35- to 44-year-old patients, only 20 percent had not lost at least one permanent tooth. The prevalence of tooth loss differs by geographic region. The percentage of dental patients with 20 or more teeth increased between 1984 and 1991.


CONCLUSIONS
Tooth loss remains a substantial problem in American Indian and Alaska Native adult dental patients. This article presents results of an Indian Health Service (IHS) oral health survey conducted in 1991 of the American Indian and Alaska Native (Native American) population with respect to tooth loss. Limited comparisons of tooth loss observed in the 1991 patient survey are made to the 1984 patient survey.
Division of Oral Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, MS F-10, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA. skp4@cdc.gov
S M
SM
Presson
W J
WJ
Niendorff
R F
RF
Martin
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000413:Alaska / Q000453:epidemiology; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004930:Inuit / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007576:Jaw, Edentulous, Partially / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009066:Mouth, Edentulous / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D014081:Tooth Extraction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016388:Tooth Loss / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology