The strength of age effect on tooth loss and periodontal condition in Korean elderly

Aging is a well-known risk factor associated with oral diseases. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to compare tooth loss and periodontal health between the relatively young elderly (65–74 years) and the old elderly (≥75 years) and to investigate the strength of the age effect on oral health status in the Korean elderly. Study population 65 years of age or older were selected from the participants of the Korean National Oral Health Survey (2006) (n = 1193). Oral examination was conducted by eight dentists trained in the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended examination procedure. The chi-square test, multiple regression analyses and multinomial logistic regression analyses were performed using SAS 9.1.3. The oral health status including decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT), missing teeth, and residual teeth significantly differed between the young elderly and the old elderly (p < 0.01). Moreover, the regression coefficients of tooth loss linearly increased across different age groups (5-year intervals, starting at age 65 years) (p < 0.05). However, the odds ratios of periodontal health did not significantly differ across 5-year interval age groups. The findings that age and the number of missing teeth are significantly and linearly related could contribute to the development of oral health care and promotion programs for the elderly tailored to their own age.