Caries prevalence in Dutch elderly people.

In 1986 a nationwide oral survey was carried out in the Netherlands. One of the aims of this study was to assess the prevalence of oral diseases in adults. The present paper describes the prevalence of coronal and root caries in elderly Dutch subjects (45-74 years). The oldest age group (65-74 years) had, on average, the least number of teeth remaining; the posterior oral segment contained fewer teeth than the anterior segment. The anterior segment had the higher percentage of teeth with coronal caries and the posterior segment a higher percentage of filled teeth. The reverse was the case for root caries; a higher percentage of teeth had root caries in the posterior segment and the anterior segment a higher percentage of filled teeth.