Oral health problems in Finnish conscripts

The frequency of oral health problems in 353 Finnish conscripts aged 21.0 (SD 1.2 years) was studied by means of a questionnaire and by investigating the dental records. One hundred five (30%) conscripts had seeked dental help during their 8 months' military service. Forty-four percent of these patients had dental caries as their main diagnosis; endodontic problems comprised 9% of all cases. The problems related to third molars were second in frequency, accounting for 27% of the conscripts treated. Six and one-half percent of the patients had lost serving time on dental grounds (mean absence 3.6 days), most often (90%) due to acute pericoronitis or post-operative status following third molar surgery.