A retrospective 5-year study of dental treatment in a group of elderly persons

In a retrospective study, 50 patients over 70 years of age, selected from a private specialist clinic for fixed and removable prosthodontics, were studied. They all had remaining natural teeth and had undergone complete dental treatment at least 5 years before. The age-range was 70-96 and they had been treated 6-25 years before the study. The patients had on average 13.9 teeth. During the five-year observation period, 32 patients developed caries, with a mean number of 5.0 lesions (range 1-22). 79 fillings were made due to other defects than caries. 25 root canal fillings were made, due to caries lesions after loosened fillings or crowns in 5 cases and for other reasons than caries in 20 cases. 4.4% of the natural teeth had to be extracted. 19 crowns, 11 bridges and 1 splint were made. The prophylactic periodontal and cariological care delivered during the 5 years varied from 0 to 350 minutes (mean 89). The time for prophylactic treatment was not significantly correlated to the total number of natural teeth per patient but instead to the number of periodontally severely involved teeth (i.e. with 50% or less marginal bone support). The overall conclusion is that 3.5 times as much chairside treatment time was used for therapeutic measures as for prophylaxis.