title: Periodontal health status and treatment needs among the elderly.
abstract: The numbers of dentate elderly are growing rapidly in all industrialized countries, and epidemiological information about their oral health is urgently needed. Our study is part of the population-based Helsinki Ageing Study (HAS), and this paper describes the periodontal health status as well as the need for periodontal treatment among the dentate elderly born in 1904, 1909, and 1914 and living in January, 1989, in Helsinki, Finland (n = 175). The dental examinations were carried out during 1990 and 1991 at the Institute of Dentistry, University of Helsinki, Finland. The subjects' periodontal health was recorded by the CPITN (Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs) method. The mean number of remaining teeth was 15.1 among men and 14.0 among women, with the mean number of remaining sextants 3.7 and 3.5, respectively. Healthy periodontal tissues (CPI = 0) were found in 7% of the subjects. Bleeding on probing (CPI = 1) was recorded in 6%, and calculus and/or overhanging margins of restorations (CPI = 2) in 41% of the subjects, as the worst finding. Altogether, 46% of the subjects had deep periodontal pockets, 35% with at least one 4- to 5-mm pocket (CPI = 3), and 11% with at least one > or = 6-mm pocket (CPI = 4). Overall, 93% of the subjects required oral hygiene instruction, 87% scaling and root planing, and 11% complex periodontal treatment. The periodontal treatment need was significantly higher in men than in women; however, no significant differences were observed among the three age cohorts. The need for complex periodontal treatment was unexpectedly low, probably explained by the fact that there were many missing teeth, especially molars, perhaps lost due to poor periodontal health.
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthetic and Geriatric Dentistry, Institute of Dentistry, PL 41 (172 Mannerheimintie), FIN 00014, University of Helsinki, Finland. shilpi.ajwani@helsinki.fi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ajwani
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tervonen
authors.forename: T O
authors.initials: TO
authors.lastname: Närhi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ainamo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003728:Dental Calculus / Q000453:epidemiology; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012534:Dental Scaling / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D005884:Gingival Hemorrhage / Q000453:epidemiology; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007576:Jaw, Edentulous, Partially / Q000453:epidemiology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009910:Oral Hygiene; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D010512:Periodontal Index; D010514:Periodontal Pocket / Q000453:epidemiology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D016745:Root Planing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012737:Sex Factors; D013223:Statistics as Topic