Dental health of national servicemen in Umeå

The aim of the study was to examine dental health in three groups of national servicemen in Umeå, Västerbotten, to compare the dental health of the groups and to evaluate need for treatment. The material consisted of 282 recruits, 79 from Stockholm County (STHLM group) 96 from the urban parts of the County of Västerbotten (V-urban group) and 107 from the rural parts (V-rural group) of that county. The examination included registration of caries and restorations, gingival status, presence of calculus, pathological pockets and alveolar bone loss. Questions about oral hygiene measures, knowledge about and attitudes to dental health were also included. The results showed that the mean values for DFT and DFS were 13.7 and 24.0 respectively. The mean DFS-value was significantly lower in the V-urban group than in the STHLM group (P less than 0.01) and the V-urban group (P less than 0.001). The mean GBI% was 38.3 in the STHLM group, 32.9 in the V-urban group and 40.4 in the V-rural group. The mean value for surfaces in need of operative treatment was 2.9, with the highest value for the STHLM group (3.5). The mean number of surfaces with initial approximal caries lesions was 2.7. A more prophylactic approach by the military dental services would be desirable, and in future planning the need for dental hygienists should be considered.