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Updated: Jul 9, 2026

Oral Health Assessment by Lay Personnel for Older Adults
Published on: February 2, 2020
A 10-year longitudinal study of self-assessed chewing ability and dental status in 50-year-old subjects
Anders Johansson1, Lennart Unell, Ann-Katrin Johansson
1Department of Oral Sciences - Prosthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Bergen, Norway. Anders.Johansson@odont.uib.no
Abstract:
Chewing ability and dental status were assessed in 2 Swedish counties via questionnaires sent in 1992 and 2002 to all subjects born in 1942. Those who answered both questionnaires-at ages 50 and 60-were included in the study (n = 5,008). The proportion of those who reported chewing ability as very good decreased from 75% to 66% during the 10-year follow-up. Approximately 80% of complete denture wearers considered their chewing ability to be good. Chewing ability was reported to be worse at age 60 than at age 50, although there was only a minor impairment in dental status.
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