Oral health in 35-44 year old adults in France

In 1994, a national study was carried out in the Rhône-Alpes area of France, within the WHO International Collaborative Study on Oral Health Outcomes. One thousand, 35-44-year-old adults were examined in 35 geographical sites. WHO assessment forms were used for the survey. None of the 35-44 year olds were edentulous and 97 per cent of the sample had more than 20 natural teeth present. The mean number of teeth was 27.1. The DMFT index was 14.6. The DT component was 1.2 and MT was 3.0. FT (10.4) was the major component of the DMFT index. Of the 1000 adults, 90.9 per cent did not have bridges, 48.8 per cent needed conservative treatment and 51.9 per cent required crowns or bridges. Indications for fillings were frequent and concerned on average one tooth per subject. Disparities are brought to the fore between dental health and the required treatment, and the following variables: gender, location and socio-economic status.