title: Periodontal disease in Norwegian old-age pensioners.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify factors of importance for periodontal health and disease on an old-age Norwegian population.
  
  
  METHODS
  From a random sample of 1152 urban and rural elderly Norwegians, aged 67 years or older, 582 individuals were agreed to participate in the study. After exclusion of edentulous individuals, 394 individuals were remained. A standardised clinical examination was performed by the same examiner. In conjunction with the clinical examination, a questionnaire was filled out regarding demographic and social status, educational level, tobacco habits and general condition.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the examined population, 33% of the subjects had periodontal disease. Out of those, 12% had severe periodontitis, that is, ≥3 periodontal pockets ≥6 mm. All variables were tested separately in a logistic regression model with periodontal pockets 6 mm and above, as the outcome variable. After univariate testing the following variables were included in a multivariate logistic regression model: daily smoking, higher plaque score, rural living and lower education. Only daily smoking remained significantly correlated to periodontal disease in the multivariate model.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study has shown a prevalence of periodontal disease in 33% of the study population. Out of those approximately 12% had more severe periodontitis. Daily tobacco use was the only factor significantly correlated to presence of periodontal disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology, Faculty of Odontology, Malmö University, Malmö, Sweden. ola.norderyd@lj.se
authors.forename: Ola
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Norderyd
authors.forename: Birgitte Moesgaard
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Henriksen
authors.forename: Henrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jansson
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000453:epidemiology; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D012923:Social Class; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data