The oral health of adults in the Baltimore SMSA study area.

This study, carried out in the region including Baltimore, Maryland, USA followed the pattern previously reported in the studies in Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Germany and Japan (Int. dent. J. 1976, 26, 317). In this area dental care is provided predominantly by payment of fees for service in private practice. Details are given of the oral health status in terms of caries, periodontal disease and loss of teeth for a group of 1142 adults aged between 35 and 45. Using the WHO stepwise regression analysis the significance of the previously reported predictors for each of the variables examined was determined. Finally a comparison is made between the present findings and those from an earlier National Health Survey carried out between 1960 and 1962. This suggests that while the caries situation may have improved over the past fifteen years, periodontal disease and loss of teeth have increased.