title: Expectation of retaining natural teeth for a lifetime and its predictors among Norwegian adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the extent to which Norwegian adults expect to retain their natural teeth for life, and to assess the effect of possible predictors of expectancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional random sample survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were interviewed in person or by telephone in August/September 1999.
  
  
  METHODS
  A representative nationwide sample aged 15-79 years (n = 1,287). The participation rate was 65%. The results pertain to 1,154 subjects aged 16-79 years with > or = 20 teeth.
  
  
  METHODS
  Expectation of retaining natural teeth for life.
  
  
  RESULTS
  About 42% believed definitely that they would retain their natural teeth for life. The rate was 88% when those who answered 'possibly' were included. Logistic regression analysis showed that gender (OR = 1.9, 95% CL 1.25, 2.87), appearance (OR = 2.8, 95% CL 1.85, 4.29) and chewing ability (OR = 2.4, 95% CL 1.26, 4.46) were significant predictors of the expectancy to retain 20 or more natural teeth for life. Explained variance expressed in terms of Nagelkerke's R2 was 0.093.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  About 40% of Norwegians definitely expected to retain > or = 20 natural teeth for life, 88% believed this to be 'definitely' or 'possibly'. Gender, appearance and chewing ability were significant predictors but their explanatory effect was low.
authors.affiliation: Department of Odontology--Community Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: Ola
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Haugejorden
authors.forename: Kristin Solveig
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Klock
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003729:Dental Care; D003817:Dentition; D004955:Esthetics, Dental; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008409:Mastication / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012737:Sex Factors; D016388:Tooth Loss / Q000523:psychology*