Adult dental health in the Keewatin

In 1990, as part of a major health status assessment, a dental survey was carried out on a 20 per cent random sample of the adult population in the Keewatin region of the Northwest Territories. A 73 per cent response rate was obtained. Of the 397 people examined, 334 (88 per cent) identified themselves as Inuit. More than 20 per cent of the respondents were edentulous, including 10 per cent of those 18 to 34 years old. The median DMFT was 24 for all respondents and 21 for dentulous respondents. There was a significant difference between Inuit and non-Inuit respondents, which was most marked in the 18 to 34 year old age group (mean DMFT 22.1 versus 15.6, p < .001). The proportion of filled to decayed and filled surfaces (F/DF) was 50 per cent. Periodontal disease was common and increased with age. More than 73 per cent of the dentate individuals had gingival bleeding at one or more sites. Very few were free of calculus. Mean pocket depth increased with age (1.3 mm at 18-34 years of age, rising to 2.3 at 55 plus, p < .001). Sixty per cent of adults needed at least one restorative procedure, 68 per cent needed prophylaxis, and 45 per cent needed periodontal treatment. Men required more treatment of all types than women. The results of this study confirm the clinical impression that dental disease is rampant among the Inuit population. There are major needs for both preventive and treatment services.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)