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Toothlessness rates vary state
to state
New York (Reuters Health) — If you want to keep all your
teeth as you age, it helps to live in Hawaii and to be a
nonsmoker, according to a report from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia.
Only 14 percent of people 65 or older who live in Hawaii are
completely toothless, a condition known as edentulism. In
contrast, 48 percent of West Virginians the same age have lost
all their teeth, according to the survey of more than 27,000
people in 46 states.
The good news is that the variation from state to state suggests
that "total tooth loss is not an inevitable consequence of aging,"
according to the CDC.
"Changes in attitudes toward dentistry, advancements in dental
restorative technologies, periodontal treatment and
effectiveness of water fluoridation and other preventive
measures have helped ensure tooth retention," the authors write
in the March 19th issue of the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality
Weekly Report.
Although the national goal is to reduce the number of people
with edentulism to less than 20 percent of the population over
age 65 by the year 2000, only five states achieved that goal —
Arizona, California, Hawaii, Oregon and Wisconsin. In
addition to West Virginia, more than 40 percent of Louisiana
and Kentucky residents over age 65 were also toothless.
A number of factors contribute to the likelihood that a person
will retain their teeth as they age. About 42 percent of high
school dropouts had lost all their teeth, compared with 10
percent to 25 percent of those with more education.
Not surprisingly, those with dental insurance were better off,
and only 18 percent had lost all their teeth compared with 27
percent of those without insurance.
And if you need another reason to quit smoking, keeping your
teeth may be it. About 41 percent of daily smokers were
toothless, compared with 29 percent of occasional smokers,
26 percent of former smokers and 20 percent of
never-smokers.
Total tooth loss is most often due to tooth decay, and drinking
fluoridated water and using fluoride-containing or antibacterial
products can help prevent the problem.
"In addition, improved access to clinical dental services and
expanded community tobacco-control activities can help
prevent total tooth loss," according to the report.
SOURCE: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
1999;48:206-209.
Copyright © 1999 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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