The Prevalence of Periodontal Attachment Loss in an Iowa Population Aged 70 and Older

Survey dental examinations were conducted on 262 dentate elderly people aged 70 and older and residing in two rural Iowa counties. Over 60 percent of the elderly in these counties were dentate. Buccal and mesial sites of all teeth were assessed for gingival recession, pocket depth, and attachment loss. Mean loss of periodontal attachment was 2.1 mm, and was slightly greater in older age groups and in men. More gingival recession was found on buccal sites and deeper pocketing was found on mesial sites regardless of age group, sex, or tooth type. However, the clinical magnitude of these differences was small. The prevalence of advanced periodontal breakdown was relatively low, with less than 15 percent of the subjects having at least one site with attachment loss of 7 mm or more. However, moderate periodontal breakdown was highly prevalent in this older population.