Dental caries in persons over the age of 80 living in Kungsholmen, Sweden: findings from the KEOHS project.

OBJECTIVES

The Kungsholmen Elders Oral Health Study (KEOHS) evaluated the oral health status of generally healthy, community-dwelling persons over the age of 80 living in Kungsholmen, an area in central Stockholm. This paper reports findings regarding the prevalence and severity of dental caries among the dentate participants.

BASIC RESEARCH

DESIGN

Caries examinations were conducted on eligible persons participating in the Kungsholmen Project, an ongoing, longitudinal study of older adults.

SETTING

Caries examinations were carried out between 1994 and 1996 at two local clinics by three standardised examiners using defined visual, tactile criteria.

PARTICIPANTS

Among 296 potentially eligible participants, 159 were examined, and a total of 129 had at least one tooth.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The caries examination identified decayed and filled surfaces and missing teeth.

RESULTS

Of the dentate subjects examined, 80% had teeth in both arches; 98% had at least one coronal filling; 81% had one or more restored root surfaces. Depending upon age and gender, between 36% and 56% of those examined had untreated coronal caries, and between 54% and 75% had untreated root caries.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings document the substantial and ongoing impact of dental caries in a sample of generally healthy, community-dwelling older adults and underscore the importance of continued caries prevention and treatment in the aged.