Anders Hugoson

Trends over 30 years, 1973-2003, in the prevalence and severity of periodontal disease.

AIM The present investigation presents findings of the prevalence and distribution of gingivitis and periodontitis in a Swedish population over the 30 years 1973-2003. MATERIAL AND METHODS Four cross-sectional epidemiological studies in 1973, 1983, 1993, and 2003 were performed in Jönköping, Sweden. Random samples of individuals aged 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80 years were examined clinically and radiographically. Diagnostic criteria were edentulousness, number of teeth, plaque, gingival status, probing pocket depth, gingival recession, alveolar bone level, and classification according to periodontal disease status. RESULTS In all age groups, the number of edentulous individuals decreased dramatically and the number of teeth increased. Oral hygiene improved considerably. Over the 30 years, the proportion of periodontally healthy individuals increased from 8% in 1973 to 44% in 2003 and the proportion of individuals with gingivitis and moderate periodontitis decreased. There was a non-significant trend for the proportion of individuals with severe periodontal disease experience (Group 4) to decrease, while the proportion of individuals with advanced periodontitis (Group 5) remained unchanged. CONCLUSION Oral hygiene and periodontal health improved significantly in the 20-80-year age groups over the 30 years 1973-2003.

Has the prevalence of periodontitis changed during the last 30 years

AIM This paper reviews global trends in the change in prevalence of periodontitis over the last 30 years. MATERIAL AND METHODS The epidemiology of periodontal disease is briefly reviewed together with the current classification system and the clinical and radiographic diagnostic methodology in periodontal disease. RESULTS This review identifies the very limited number of studies that provide prevalence data over time, and this data is discussed in comparison with those stemming from a few corresponding studies from countries outside Europe. CONCLUSIONS The data indicate a possible trend of a lower prevalence of periodontitis in recent years.

Prevalence and severity of incisal and occlusal tooth wear in an adult Swedish population

The material consisted of 585 randomly selected dentate individuals from the community of Jönköping, Sweden, who in 1983 reached the age of 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, or 80 years. The degree of incisal or occlusal wear was evaluated for each single tooth in accordance with the following criteria: 0 = no wear or negligible wear of enamel; 1 = obvious wear of enamel or wear through the enamel to dentin in single spots; 2 = wear of dentin up to one-third of the crown height; 3 = wear of dentin more than one-third of the crown height and/or excessive wear of tooth restorative material. Among the 20-year-olds 35% of the subjects had no or slight incisal or occlusal wear. The corresponding figures for the 30- to 80-year age groups were 20%, 32%, 18%, 14%, 26%, and 23%, respectively. For the age groups 20-80 years, the percentage of teeth with incisal or occlusal wear in accordance with criteria 1-3 was 13%, 20%, 16%, 24%, 23%, 23%, and 23%, respectively. Men presented more teeth with wear than women, the difference being significant for all age groups except the 20- and 60-year-olds. Among the 20-year-olds 6% had one or more teeth with wear scored 2. Among subjects aged 30 and 70 years 10% and 31%, respectively, showed tooth wear with score 2. Wear with score 3 was only found in 2% of the total population. There was an increase in the number of teeth with incisal or occlusal wear with age. With increasing age, there was also a change in distribution of wear within the dentition.

Periodontal and Prosthetic Conditions in Patients Treated with Removable Partial Dentures and Artificial Crowns: A Longitudinal Two-Year Study

In the present longitudinal study the periodontal and prosthetic conditions in 30 patients treated with removable partial dentures and artificial crowns were followed over a period of 2 years. The patients were given individual instructions in oral and denture hygiene and adequate periodontal treatment before the prosthetic therapy was started. The removable partial dentures were carefully planned and designed. The patients were regularly checked, and necessary instructions, scaling and prosthetic corrections were undertaken. The patients cooperated excellently and no significant deterioration was found in the clinical periodontal status of the remaining teeth. Only a few carious lesions were registered. The present study does not support the opinion that a removable partial denture per se will cause periodontal and carious lesions. When teeth with artificial crowns were examined regarding the position of the crown margins it was found that clinically observable gingival inflammations tended to be greates...

Periodontal healing after impacted lower third molar surgery in adolescents and adults: A prospective study

The effects of impacted lower 3rd molar surgery on periodontal tissues in the adjacent 2nd molar area have been investigated in a prospective study comprising 176 cases from 2 age groups: less than or equal to 20 years (n = 93) and greater than or equal to 30 years (n = 83), respectively. The preoperative and 1-year postoperative examinations included both clinical and radiographic variables. All patients were subjected to a standardized surgical procedure and optimal plaque control pre-, intra- and postoperatively. Early removal of impacted lower 3rd molars with large angulation and close positional relationship to the adjacent 2nd molar proved to have a beneficial effect on periodontal health.

An individual tooth wear index and an analysis of factors correlated to incisal and occlusal wear in an adult Swedish population

The aim of the study was to introduce an individual tooth wear index and to use this index to investigate factors correlated to occlusal wear. The material consisted of 585 randomly selected dentate individuals from the community of Jönköping, Sweden, who in 1983 reached the age of 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, or 80 years. The degree of incisal and occlusal wear was evaluated for each single tooth in accordance with criteria presented earlier. An individual tooth wear index, which made it possible to rank individuals in accordance with incisal and occlusal wear, was used as dependent variable to investigate factors related to incisal and occlusal wear. Of all factors analyzed, the following were found to correlate significantly with increased incisal and occlusal wear: number of existing teeth, age, sex, occurrence of bruxism, use of snuff, and saliva buffer capacity. Stepwise multiple regression analysis gave a total explanation factor of R2 = 0.41. It was also possible to distinguish well between groups of individuals with and without tooth wear by means of these factors.

Prevalence of symptoms and signs indicative of temporomandibular disorders in children and adolescents : A cross-sectional epidemiological investigation covering two decades

AIMS: These were to 1) estimate the prevalence of subjective symptoms and clinical signs of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in children and adolescents in the city of JÖnkÖping, Sweden, 2) follow possible variations in TMD signs and symptoms over a 20-year period, and 3) study possible associations between TMD symptoms and signs and factors of interest. DESIGN: About 100 individuals in the age groups of 3, 5, 10 and 15 years participated in cross-sectional stratified epidemiological investigations in 1983, 1993 and 2003. METHODS: All participants were asked to fill in a questionnaire including questions on general and oral health, dental care habits and some sociodemographic issues. More specific questions recorded the presence or absence of subjective symptoms: tiredness in the jaws on awakening or during chewing; clicking sounds or crepitations from the temporomandibular joints (TMJs); locking/catching of the mandible; luxation of the mandible; reduced jaw movement capacity; pain during jaw movements; other pain conditions in the jaws or in the TMJ regions. Subjects were examined clinically at each time period for; jaw mobility (maximum jaw opening including vertical overbite, maximum laterotrusion to the right and to the left, maximum protrusion); TMJ function (normal function, deflection on jaw opening of > 2 mm, TMJ clicking or crepitations, TMJ locking, TMJ luxation); pain on jaw movement (no pain on movements, pain on one movement, pain on more than one movement); muscle pain (no muscle pain, pain on palpation in 1–3 sites, pain on palpation in > 3 sites); TMJ pain (no joint pain, pain on lateral palpation of one or both joints, pain on posterior palpation of one or both joints). No functional examination of the masticatory system was performed in children aged 3 and 5 years. RESULTS: TMD-related symptoms were very rare in 3- and 5-year-olds. In the age groups of 10- and 15-year-olds, 5–9% of the participants reported more severe symptoms, up to 50% showed one or more TMD signs, while it was estimated that 1–2% were in need of TMD treatment. Several symptoms and signs increased with age. No gender differences, with the exception of recurrent headache, were noted. Oral parafunctions were reported by 11–47%. Apart from a few variables, no statistically significant changes in the prevalence of TMD symptoms and signs were observed over the 20-year period. Clenching/grinding of teeth and general health factors were found to be associated with TMD symptoms and signs. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of more severe TMD symptoms and signs in children and adolescents was generally low in all three examinations and did not change significantly during the 20-year period. Increasing age, general health factors and oral parafunctions were associated with TMD symptoms and signs in 10- and 15-year-olds.

Long-term prognosis of extensive polyunit cantilevered fixed partial dentures

The aim of this retrospective study was to elucidate the long-term prognoses of extensive fixed partial dentures including unilateral or bilateral polyunit cantilevers in patients with healthy but reduced periodontal support. Following periodontal therapy 36 cross-arch fixed partial dentures with two or more cantilever units unilaterally or bilaterally were fitted in 34 patients. In the prosthodontic design, special attention was given to the retention to long parallel preparations, to the dimensions of the framework, and to the occlusal design. After completion of therapy, the patients were enrolled in a regular maintenance care program and followed up for a period of 5 to 12 years. During this follow-up period one abutment tooth was fractured in one patient. One fixed partial denture with extremely reduced periodontal support was lost as a result of complete periodontal breakdown from occlusal trauma. For 33 fixed partial dentures, neither periodontal nor technical complications occurred.

Some salivary factors in insulin-dependent diabetics

The aim of the study was to compare salivary flow rate, salivary pH, buffer capacity of the saliva, salivary glucose content, and number of Candida albicans, lactobacilli, and Streptococcus mutans in the saliva in age- and sex-matched adult long- and short-duration insulin-dependent diabetics and non-diabetics. Ninety-four long-duration and 86 short-duration diabetics and 86 non-diabetics, aged 20-70 years, participated in the study. Paraffin-stimulated whole saliva was collected. Both long- and short-duration diabetics had a decreased salivary flow rate and an increased salivary glucose content compared with non-diabetics. However, the differences were small. There were no significant differences between the groups in salivary pH, buffer capacity, or bacterial counts.

The distribution of ‘‘sense of coherence’’ among Swedish adults : A quantitative cross-sectional population study

Background: Antonovsky’s concept of ‘‘sense of coherence’’ (SOC) has been shown to be related to health. The aim of this study was to describe the distribution of SOC scores and their components in an adult Swedish population aged 20—80 years. Methods: A random sample of 910 individuals from Jönköping, Sweden, aged 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 and 80 years, of which 589 agreed to participate in an oral health examination. The participants answered Antonovsky’s 13-item version of ‘‘the life orientation questionnaire scale’’. The response to the items and the distribution of the three components of comprehensibility, manageability and meaningfulness were analyzed for different age groups and genders using mean values and standard deviations, Student’s t-test and ANOVA. Results: A total of 526 individuals, 263 men and 263 women, answered all 13 questions and constituted the final material for the study (response rate 89%). The individual SOC score increased with age. The 20 year olds had a statistically significantly lower SOC score compared with the other age groups and 55% of them had a low SOC (≤66 points) compared with 17% of the 80 year olds. Men in the 60 and 70 year age groups had a statistically significantly higher SOC score compared with women of the same age. Conclusions: The individual distribution of SOC varied with age and gender. Twenty year olds had a significantly lower SOC score compared with elderly age groups. Elderly men had a statistically significantly higher SOC score compared with women of the same age.