Constant Proportion of Decayed Teeth in Adults Aged 25, 35, 50 and 65 Years in a High-Caries Area

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Abstract
Past caries experience as expressed by means of the DIMFT index was studied in 1982–1983 in an adult, high-caries Finnish population. The random sample for the survey comprised 1,600 adults, 400 in each age group of 25, 35, 50 and 65 years. A total of 1,275 subjects (80%) were clinically examined, and of these 941 had one or more remaining permanent teeth. Of the remaining teeth, approximately 40% were sound in all four age groups. The corresponding percentage of teeth with open cavities varied only slightly, being highest (18%) at the age of 50 years and lowest (13%) in the 35-year-olds. The percentage of filled teeth decreased with age at the expense of increasing proportions of teeth indicated for extraction. When the missing teeth of the dentate persons were included in the analysis, the proportions of both sound, decayed and filled teeth were found to decrease with age. When the missing teeth of both the dentate and the edentulous subjects were included, the corresponding analysis revealed a substantial decrease in caries treatment needs with advancing age. It was concluded that the generally held view of caries experience being reduced with age may not be due to a decreasing caries activity but to the reduced number of remaining teeth. The constant proportion of remaining teeth being in need of repair was suggested to indicate that caries preventive measures would be needed by adults as well as by children and teenagers.

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