title: Discontinued dental attendance among elderly people in Sweden.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our objective was to study the loss of dental attendance and a possible age trend among patients aged ≥65 years in Sweden. Regular dental check-ups are considered to be an important factor in maintaining oral health. Approximately 80% of the adult population in Sweden are enrolled in a regular check-up system; however, dental practitioners often find that older patients attend fewer check-ups. Old people may naturally lose contact with dental services as they move to special housing or die. In this systematic study, these factors were investigated and used as exclusion criteria.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected for all patients (n = 4759) aged 65 or older from the electronic journal system in 3 large public dental clinics in 3 communities. Their dental records for the years 2004-2009 were studied longitudinally by 1 person at each clinic; 1111 patients were excluded (patients died during study period, wanted emergency care only, obtained special dental care allowance, moved from the community or moved to special housing, or left the clinic for another caregiver). The statistical analyses were performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 21 (IBM).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 3648 patients (1690 men and 1958 women) included in the study, 13% lost contact with their dental service over the course of the study (10% of those were aged 65-79 and 21% ≥80). The decrease in regular dental contact had a statistically significant association with increasing age (P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A considerable number of older people living independently or with moderate supportive care in their own homes lost contact with dental service despite enrolment in a recall system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gerodontology, Public Dental Service, Region Vãstra Götaland, Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Behavioural and Community Dentistry, Institute of Odontology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, The University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Ingela
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Grönbeck-Linden
authors.affiliation: Department of Gerodontology, Public Dental Service, Region Vãstra Götaland, Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Behavioural and Community Dentistry, Institute of Odontology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, The University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Catharina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hägglin
authors.affiliation: Department of Gerodontology, Public Dental Service, Region Vãstra Götaland, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Petersson
authors.affiliation: Department of Gerodontology, Public Dental Service, Region Vãstra Götaland, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Per O
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Linander
authors.affiliation: Department of Gerodontology, Public Dental Service, Region Vãstra Götaland, Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Behavioural and Community Dentistry, Institute of Odontology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, The University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gahnberg
keywords: Dental attendance; dental care for aged; frail elderly; public dental service