Clinical and roentgenographic examination of 697 Swedish recruits, year group 1980.

In the present study, 697 recruits starting military service in 1980 were subjected to a clinical and roentgenographic dental health examination supplemented by an inquiry by questionnaire on attitudes towards dental health and dental care. The results confirm the recent improvement of the caries state previously reported for corresponding age groups by other researchers. Intact anterior teeth were observed in 51 per cent of the recruits, while 18.6 per cent had no restored proximal surfaces. A considerable proportion, 79 per cent, had incipient caries, while 61.6 per cent showed manifest carious lesions. Consequently, a substantial need for restorative treatment and caries preventive measures was evident. Nearly 13 per cent of the recruits exhibited roentgenographically visible alveolar bone loss, while about 20 per cent had calculus deposits on the proximal surfaces in the premolar-molar areas. This indicates a necessity for periodontal treatment within this age group to which enough attention has not been paid in the past.