Number of teeth and tooth loss of former dental school patients Follow-up study after 10-17 years

Abstract

Persons (n = 431) who had received endodontic and other treatment at the School of Dentistry in Bergen in the 1960s were invited to attend an examination in 1980, some 10-17 years after their first course of treatment. The age range initially had been 16-55 years. The attendance rate was 55% (149 women and 89 men) and was higher for the older age groups. Data from pre- and post-treatment records were added to the information obtained in 1980. Those who attended in 1980 had had 22.8 teeth at the initial examination and 21.2 teeth after their first course of treatment in the 1960s. In 1980 they had 19.3 teeth. About 20% of the persons had the same number of teeth at all three examinations, and 43% had not lost teeth after completing treatment at the school. Molars and maxillary teeth were most likely to have been extracted. This was also the case for teeth lost during the first course of treatment. Some 4% of the individuals had become edentulous. Conventional dental treatment had not prevented further tooth loss; the number of remaining teeth within each age group was about the same in 1980 as in the 1960s.