title: Findings from the oral health study of the Danish Health Examination Survey 2007-2008.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aims of the oral part of the Danish Health Examination Survey (DANHES 2007-2008) were (1) to establish an oral health database for adult Danes and (2) to explore the influence of general diseases and lifestyle on oral health. This paper presents the study population, examination methods, questionnaire and baseline results.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population comprised 4402 subjects, aged 18-96, consecutively enrolled from 18 065 DANHES participants from 13 municipalities in Denmark. The oral part consisted of a validated questionnaire and a clinical examination, carried out in mobile units by three trained and calibrated dental hygienists. The data were processed with descriptive statistics and mono- and bivariate analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age was 54.1 years and 60% were women. The mean number of natural teeth was 26.6; the mean DMFT/DMFS values were 18.9 and 61.0, and varied with age (DMFT 8.7-24.3). A higher proportion of females suffered from dental erosion in the younger age groups. Forty per cent of all subjects had a mean clinical attachment loss ≥ 3 mm, varying from 4% among those aged 18-34 to 80% in those over 75. A sub-optimal saliva secretion rate was more common among females than males (17.7% vs 10.4%) and this was reflected by the reported frequency of dry mouth.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This extensive cross-sectional study provides a platform for obtaining future knowledge of the impact of health- and lifestyle-related factors on oral diseases. The validated questionnaire and the clinical characteristics enable robust analyses, although the conclusions may be hampered by limited external validity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Odontology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen , Copenhagen N , Denmark.
authors.forename: Johanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kongstad
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ekstrand
authors.forename: Vibeke
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Qvist
authors.forename: Lisa Bøge
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Christensen
authors.forename: Birthe
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cortsen
authors.forename: Morten
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grønbaek
authors.forename: Poul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Holm-Pedersen
authors.forename: Palle
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Holmstrup
authors.forename: Allan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bardow
authors.forename: Svante
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Twetman
authors.forename: Nils-Erik
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Fiehn
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009909:Oral Health; D055815:Young Adult