Dental and periodontal health in Finnish adults in 2000 and 2011.

Objective: We assessed dental and periodontal health in adults aged ≥30 years living in southern and northern Finland as part of the Health 2000/2011 Surveys (BRIF8901).

Material And Methods: Clinical findings in 2000 (n = 2967) and 2011 (n = 1496) included the presence of teeth and number of teeth with caries, fillings, fractures or periodontal pockets.

Results: Edentulousness decreased in all age groups.

Pit and fissure sealants for preventing dental decay in permanent teeth.

Background: Dental sealants were introduced in the 1960s to help prevent dental caries, mainly in the pits and fissures of occlusal tooth surfaces. Sealants act to prevent bacteria growth that can lead to dental decay. Evidence suggests that fissure sealants are effective in preventing caries in children and adolescents compared to no sealants.

Use of oral health care services in Finnish adults - results from the cross-sectional Health 2000 and 2011 Surveys.

Background: During the 2000s, two major legislative reforms concerning oral health care have been implemented in Finland. One entitled the whole population to subsidized care and the other regulated the timeframes of access to care. Our aim was, in a cross-sectional setting, to assess changes in and determinants of use of oral health care services before the first reform in 2000 and after both reforms in 2011.

Pit and fissure sealants versus fluoride varnishes for preventing dental decay in the permanent teeth of children and adolescents.

Background: Most of the detected increment in dental caries among children and adolescents is confined to occlusal surfaces of posterior permanent molars. Dental sealants and fluoride varnishes are much used preventive options for caries. Although the effectiveness of sealants and fluoride varnishes for controlling caries as compared with no intervention has been demonstrated in clinical trials and summarised in systematic reviews, the relative effectiveness of these two interventions remains unclear.

The association of depression and anxiety with dental caries and periodontal disease among Finnish adults.

Objective: To explore the association of depression and anxiety with two oral health outcomes, dental caries and periodontal disease and assess possible mediators for any of the associations.

Methods: Secondary analysis of the Finnish Health 2000 Survey. Depression was assessed with Beck's Depression Inventory and anxiety with Composite International Diagnostic Interview.

Sealants for preventing dental decay in the permanent teeth.

Background: Dental sealants were introduced in the 1960s to help prevent dental caries in the pits and fissures of mainly the occlusal tooth surfaces. Sealants act to prevent the growth of bacteria that can lead to dental decay. There is evidence to suggest that fissure sealants are effective in preventing caries in children and adolescents when compared to no sealants.

Radiographic assessments on prevalence and technical quality of endodontically-treated teeth in the Finnish population, aged 30 years and older.

Objective: To assess the prevalence and technical quality of endodontic treatment (ET) in Finland by panoramic radiography.

Materials And Methods: As part of the Finnish nationwide Health 2000 Survey, panoramic radiographs of 5244 dentate subjects, aged 30-95 years, were analyzed. The criterion for a technically adequate ET was a distance from the root filling to the root apex of ≤3 mm.

Childhood socioeconomic position, adult sense of coherence and tooth retention.

Objective: To explore the role of sense of coherence (SOC) as a mediator in the relationship between childhood socioeconomic position (SEP) and tooth retention in adulthood.

Methods: Data from 5401 dentate adults aged 30 and over who participated in the nationally representative Finnish Health 2000 Survey were analysed. Participants provided information on demographic characteristics (sex and age), childhood SEP (parental education), adulthood SEP (years of education and household income), the SOC scale and oral health-related behaviours (dental attendance, toothbrushing frequency, sugar intake frequency and daily smoking).

Education level and oral health in Finnish adults: evidence from different lifecourse models.

Aim: To assess the relationship between education level and several oral health outcomes in Finnish adults, using three conceptual lifecourse models.

Materials And Methods: This study analysed data from 7112 subjects, aged 30 years or over, who participated in the nationally representative Finnish Health 2000 Survey. Parental and own education levels were the childhood and adulthood socioeconomic measures, respectively.

Prevalence and simultaneous occurrence of periodontitis and dental caries.

Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence and simultaneous occurrence of periodontal disease and dental caries in Finnish adults.

Material And Methods: The study was performed as part of the nationally representative Health 2000 Survey. The study population was 5255 subjects aged 30 years and older.

Pit and fissure sealants versus fluoride varnishes for preventing dental decay in children and adolescents.

Background: The majority of the detected increment in dental caries among children and adolescents is confined to pit and fissure surfaces of first molars.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of pit and fissure sealants with fluoride varnishes in the prevention of dental decay on occlusal surfaces.

Search Strategy: The Cochrane Oral Health Group's Trials Register, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE and 10 other databases were searched to November 2009.

The relationship among sense of coherence, socio-economic status, and oral health-related behaviours among Finnish dentate adults.

This study assessed the independent and interactive associations between sense of coherence (SOC) and socio-economic status (SES) with oral health-related behaviours. Data from 5,399 dentate adults regarding their demographic characteristics, years of education, SOC score, and oral health-related behaviours were analysed. Household income was obtained from tax authorities.

The T-Health index: a composite indicator of dental health.

The aim of this study was to determine the most appropriate set of weights with which to calculate the number of sound-equivalent teeth (T-Health index) against perceived oral health, which was used as a proxy of oral health status. This study used data from 5,057 dentate subjects, > or = 30 yr of age, who ere participating in the Finnish Health 2000 Survey. Subjects provided information on socio-demographic characteristics, behaviours and perceived oral health, and had a clinical examination.

The influence of sense of coherence on the relationship between childhood socioeconomic status and adult oral health-related behaviours.

Objectives: To assess the role of adulthood socioeconomic status (SES) and sense of coherence (SOC) in the relationship between childhood SES and adult oral health-related behaviours.

Methods: This study analysed responses of 5318 dentate subjects aged 30 years and over who participated in the Finnish Health 2000 Survey. Participants provided information on their demographic characteristics (sex, age, marital status and urbanization), childhood SES (parental education), adulthood SES (years of education and household income), the SOC scale and four oral health-related behaviours (dental attendance, toothbrushing frequency, sugar intake frequency and daily smoking).

Pit and fissure sealants for preventing dental decay in the permanent teeth of children and adolescents.

Background: Although pit and fissure sealants are effective in preventing caries, their efficacy may be related to the caries prevalence in the population.

Objectives: The primary objective of this review was to evaluate the caries prevention of pit and fissure sealants in children and adolescents.

Search Strategy: We searched the Cochrane Oral Health Group Trials Register, CENTRAL (The Cochrane Library 2007, Issue 3) and MEDLINE (to October 2007); EMBASE (to June 2007); SCISEARCH, CAplus, INSPEC, NTIS, PASCAL, DARE, NHS EED and HTA (to February 2008).

Dental fear among population aged 30 years and older in Finland.

Objective: The aim of the study was to examine how the percentage of subjects reporting dental fear varied in accordance with age, gender, level of educational attainment, and marital status in a nationally representative sample of the adult population in Finland.

Material And Methods: The two-stage stratified cluster sample (n=8028) represented the population aged 30 years or older living in Finland. Of this nationwide sample, 88% participated.

Occurrence of clinical signs of temporomandibular disorders in adult Finns.

Aims: To study the age- and gender-related prevalence of signs of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in the Finnish adult population.

Methods: A clinical health examination was performed as a part of a Health 2000 Health Examination Survey in 2000 and 2001. A nationally representative sample included 8,028 Finns at least 30 years of age, of whom 79% participated also in an oral health investigation, including examination of the stomatognathic system in order to assess the presence of certain TMD signs: maximum interincisal distance < 40 mm, pain in temporomandibular joints or masticatory muscles, and sounds in temporomandibular joints (crepitation, clicking).

A strong sense of coherence promotes regular dental attendance in adults.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between the sense of coherence (SOC) and dental attendance pattern. It was hypothesised that the subjects with a stronger SOC have a more regular dental attendance.

Basic Research Design: In the nationally representative sample including 8,028 persons aged 30, or more, 88% were surveyed.

Technical and cost efficiency of oral health care provision in Finnish health centres.

In this study we measured the productive efficiency of public dental health provision across Finland. The analysis was based on data envelopment analysis (DEA) using linear programming. In addition, we investigated various factors explaining the technical and cost efficiency of public dental care using a parametric Tobit model.