Prevalence of tooth loss and dental service use in older Mexican Americans.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the prevalence of tooth loss, to examine risk factors for having fewer teeth or no teeth, and to describe the use of dental services in an older Mexican-American population.


METHODS
Data from the baseline phase of the Hispanic Established Population for the Epidemiological Study of the Elderly survey conducted from 1993 to 1994, a cross-sectional survey of older Mexican Americans.


METHODS
Five southwestern states: Texas, California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado.


METHODS
3,050 noninstitutionalized Mexican Americans age 65 to 99.


RESULTS
Twenty-seven percent of the sample was completely edentulous and 22% reported visiting or speaking with a dental care professional in the preceding year. Logistic regression analyses showed that being older or being female was significantly associated with tooth loss, adjusting for education, income, smoking status, and diabetes mellitus. Current smokers (odds ratio (OR) = 1.69; 95% CI = 1.31-2.20) and diabetics (OR = 1.53; 95% CI = 1.27-1.84) were more at risk for tooth loss, as were persons of lower socioeconomic status.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of tooth loss and use of dental services in this population of older Mexican Americans is lower than what has been previously found among older people in the general population.
Randolph
W M
WM
Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health and the Sealy Center on Aging, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston 77555, USA.
Ostir
G V
GV
Markides
K S
KS
D017677:Age Distribution; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001130:Arizona / Q000453:epidemiology; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D003120:Colorado / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003752:Dental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003753:Dental Health Surveys; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009516:New Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology; D016388:Tooth Loss / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000209:etiology*