Abstract
Radiographic oral and maxillofacial findings were
recorded in a cohort of 293 home living elderly, in Helsinki, Finland,
derived from a random sample of 8035 subjects, , born in 1904, 1909, and
1912, who participated in the Helsinki Ageing Study. They were 76,
81, and 86 years old at the commencement of the radiographic study.
The relationships of potentially infectious findings with increased
all-cause mortality over four years were studied. During the four-year
follow-up, 18.5% of the subjects died.
Of the 124 edentulous subjects, 17% had condylar
findings, 13% radiopaque intraosseous findings, 9% retained
roots, 6% maxillary sinus findings, 4% impacted
teeth and 3% radiolucent findings. Edentulous women had
more arthrotic condylar findings than men.
The mean number of teeth in the 169 dentate subjects was 13.9,
15.5 in men and 13.2 in women. Carious teeth were found in 75%,
radiolucent findings in 41%, teeth with vertical infrabony
pockets in 51%, furcation lesions in 28%, calculus
in 40%, and condylar findings in 25%. Periodontal attachment
loss was slight in 18%, moderate in 31%, and advanced
in 46%. 21% of the teeth had been endodontically
treated. Periapical lesions were found in 17% of these
teeth, and in 4% of the other teeth. 75% of the
rootfillings were inadequate, exhibiting periapical lesions twice
as often as the adequate ones. Men had more carious teeth, periapical
lesions and furcation lesions than women, indicating better oral
hygiene and/or utilisation of dental services in women.
Compared with the previous studies carried out in Finland,
slightly more teeth and less tooth-associated pathology were found
in the present subjects. In contemporary Scandinavian studies, only a
slightly better oral health status in the elderly has been reported.
During the four-year follow-up, mortality was higher in the
subjects with moderate to advanced infrabony pockets, OR 2.2, 1.0-4.7.
In the previous studies, similar associations have been found in larger
study cohorts including younger subjects. Our results indicate that
oral foci may be more dangerous for the elderly than it has been
previously thought, as the subjects who died had poorer dental health
than those who survived.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:oulo.fi/oai:oulu.fi:isbn951-42-5454-6 |
| Date | 16 November 1999 |
| Creators | Soikkonen, K. (Kari) |
| Publisher | University of Oulu |
| Source Sets | University of Oulu |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | info:eu-repo/semantics/doctoralThesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess, © University of Oulu, 1999 |
| Relation | info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/pissn/0355-3221, info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/eissn/1796-2234 |
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