Characteristics of participants in the oral physiology component 01 the Baltimore longitudinal study of aging

Abstract

A variety of demographic, socioeconomic and dental characteristics of 254 (145 male, 109 female) participants in a longitudinal study of oral physiology and aging is described. All individuals are part of the USA National Institute on Aging''s Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. Subjects are generally in middle to upper middle socioeconomic strata, well-educated and in good health (.apprx. 75% not taking prescription medication). Most participants practice regular oral hygiene habits and receive regular and comprehensive dental care. Less than 4% of all subjects are edentulous and the average number of natural teeth present for all participants was .apprx. 23. Data are presented on DMFT [diseased, missing or filled teeth] scores, cervical caries (active and restored) scores and gingival and periodontal disease indices for males by age group (20-39, 40-59, 60-88 yr) and for females by menopause status (pre-, post-).