Oral health in German children, adolescents, adults and senior citizens in 2005.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this field study (the "Fourth German Oral Health Study") was to obtain representative data on caries (DMFT index), periodontitis (CPI) and prosthetic status in the German population and to evaluate changes in the oral health of the German people as compared with the findings of the Third German Oral Health Study conducted eight years previously.


METHODS
The study took the form of a population-representative cross-sectional survey with random samples, and was complemented by a questionnaire to reveal sociological as well as behavioural data.


METHODS
The age cohorts in the present study were 12-year-olds (children), 15-year-olds (adolescents), 35- to 44-year-olds (adults) and 65- to 74-year-olds (senior citizens).


RESULTS
All age groups showed considerable improvements in oral health with respect to caries. Of the children, 70.1% were free of dentine caries and the mean DMFT value was 0.7. In adults and senior citizens both the DMFT value and the number of missing teeth and edentulousness declined. With regard to periodontal conditions, increasing prevalence of moderate and severe findings was recorded in adults and senior citizens, owing probably to the larger number of natural teeth remaining in the oral cavity.


CONCLUSIONS
The study documents a distinct improvement in oral health in the German population. Interrelated with the higher numbers of remaining natural teeth a higher prevalence of moderate and severe periodontal conditions in German adults and senior citizens was observed.
Schiffner
U
U
University of Hamburg, Center of Dental and Oral Medicine, Department of Restorative and Preventive Dentistry, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, D-20246 Hamburg. schiffner@uke.de
Hoffmann
T
T
Kerschbaum
T
T
Micheelis
W
W
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003778:Dentures / Q000145:classification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007575:Jaw, Edentulous / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009909:Oral Health / Q000592:standards*; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012015:Reference Standards; D016388:Tooth Loss / Q000453:epidemiology*