Periodontal condition of the elderly in Finland

Abstract

Objective. To describe the periodontal condition of the elderly in Finland and its association with sociodemographic factors. Material and methods. The study was based on a subpopulation of 1460 persons (748 dentate persons) aged ≥65 years who participated in a nationally representative Health 2000 Survey in Finland. The data for this study were collected by means of an interview and a clinical oral examination. Results. Seventy-three percent of the participants in this study had gingival bleeding in at least one sextant. The proportion of participants with no teeth with deepened periodontal pockets ≥4 mm deep was 31%. Twenty-eight percent of the participants had one to three teeth with deepened periodontal pockets ≥4 mm deep, 15% had four to six and 26% had ≥7. At the individual level, a high number of teeth with deepened periodontal pockets was associated with sociodemographic factors such as high age, intermediate or higher education, and living in a rural area. Conclusion. At a national level, the greatest need for periodontal treatment presently derives from persons aged 65–74 years and/or those with low education, due to their high representation in the elderly population.