The study is using data from the 1985 National Survey of Oral Health in U.S. Employed Adults and Seniors conducted by the NIDR. Associations between periodontal health status and selected sociodemographic characteristics among U.S. seniors are being analyzed. Periodontal conditions included in the study are gingival bleeding, gingival recession, loss of attachment and pocket depth. Sociodemographic characteristics are age, gender, race, years of education, household income, dental insurance coverage, and the interval since the person's last visit to a dentist. Preliminary findings are consistent with other regional and national studies of the U.S. and other countries. Generally periodontal conditions are more prevalent and extensive in males than females. Persons who had not visited a dentist in the last 5 years had the most pronounced periodontal destruction.
