Level of education and incidence of caries in the elderly: a 5-year follow-up study

This study aimed to examine the possible association between level of education and 5-year caries increment in the elderly inhabitants of Helsinki.

Low salivary flow and high numbers of salivary microorganisms are associated with the presence of caries, but cannot predict the increment in caries in the elderly.

This study group was derived from a population-based Helsinki Aging Study, which consisted of a random sample of elderly born in 1904, 1909 and 1914. The 71 dentate elderly who underwent clinical oral examinations at baseline (1990-91) and 5 years later (1995-96) were included in the study group. Decayed, Missing or Filled Tooth (DMFT) and Root Caries Index (RCI) indexes were used to study subjects' caries experience. Data on subjects' education came from questionnaire studies. The subjects were divided into four groups according to their level of education and occupation. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to evaluate relationships between subjects' caries experience and level of education.

At baseline the elderly with high level of education had more teeth and more root surfaces at risk than those with low level of education. Number of teeth decreased (-1.085, p < 0.0001), while both DMFT (1.164, p < 0.0001) and RCI (0.081, p < 0.0001) indices increased during follow-up. The increments in DMFT and RCI were not directly associated with the level of education. Multivariate analysis in which subjects' gender, number of teeth, level of education, frequency of eating and frequency of brushing were taken into consideration, showed no significant association with caries increment.

Within the limitations of this study it can be concluded that the level of education of the elderly is not directly associated with the increment in caries.