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Coronal caries and restorations in an elderly population in Germany
Author(s) -
Strübig Wolfgang,
Depping Matthias
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
community dentistry and oral epidemiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.061
H-Index - 101
eISSN - 1600-0528
pISSN - 0301-5661
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0528.1992.tb01723.x
Subject(s) - medicine , oral hygiene , dentistry , dental health , oral health , dental care , geriatric dentistry , hygiene , root caries , population , social class , gerontology , environmental health , pathology , political science , law
In an epidemiologic study, the dental health status of elderly persons in Germany was investigated. A total of 458 persons aged 60 yr and over participated in the study, with 89 persons being residents of old‐people's homes. With a mean DMFS score of 87.3, the mean number of manifest caries was low (1.2) and the standard of conservative and prosthetic care high. Of a mean number of 17.75 filled surfaces, 59.6% were surfaces with crowns. Dental health is a social problem. The mean number of caries cavities was 10 times higher in institutionalized elderly persons of low social class than in non‐institutionalized persons of the same age. Finally, initiatives to improve oral and dental hygiene in all age groups examined in this study are urgently required.