The Impact of Ethnicity, Gender, and Marital Status on Periodontal and Systemic Health of Older Subjects in the Trials to Enhance Elders' Teeth and Oral Health (TEETH)

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Abstract
Background: Few studies have examined the association between periodontitis risk, gender, and marital status in older adults. The purpose of this study was to assess if the oral health status of older subjects could be explained by differences in: 1) marital status; 2) gender; and 3) ethnicity. Methods: Clinical and radiographic periodontal oral conditions were studied in 701 older subjects from the TEETH clinical trial. Medical conditions as well as ethnic and marital status and smoking habits were considered. Results: A total of 89 married couples were identified; 40.7% of these were of European descent and 48.1% of Chinese descent. The mean age was 67.7 years (SD ± 4.7). The men were older than the women (mean difference: 1.5 years, SD ± 4.6, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.5 to 2.5, P P J Periodontol 2004;75:817-823.