title: Prevalence and quality of endodontic treatment in the Northern Manhattan elderly.
abstract: Pulpitis results in significant morbidity among the elderly, particularly in underserved communities. We collected panoramic oral radiographs from 244 (mean age 67) participants of the Northern Manhattan Study, a prospective cohort study of stroke risk in a multiethnic urban population. Radiographs were evaluated for missing teeth, caries, restorations, periodontal bone loss, adequacy of endodontic treatment, and periapical radiolucencies. In the study 206 subjects were dentate (mean 17.1 teeth). 5.1% of teeth had periapical radiolucencies, and 4.8% had been endodontically treated; 37.5% of endodontically treated teeth had periapical radiolucencies. Teeth with restorations, periodontal bone loss, pulpotomy, and inadequate root canal filling had a significantly higher occurrence of periapical radiolucency (p < 0.05). Among all root filled teeth, only 26% were deemed satisfactory. We conclude that apical periodontitis is widely prevalent and the technical standard of root fillings is poor in this cohort. There is a substantial need for improved dental care among the northern Manhattan elderly.
authors.affiliation: School of Dental and Oral Surgery, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Chia-Yi
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Gunnar
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hasselgren
authors.forename: Neill
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Serman
authors.forename: Mitchell S V
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Elkind
authors.forename: Moïse
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Desvarieux
authors.forename: Steven P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Engebretson
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016321:Dental Care for Aged / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019232:Dental Restoration Failure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D010485:Periapical Periodontitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011862:Radiography, Panoramic; D012390:Root Canal Therapy / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*