During the past 12 months, DPHP staff have worked cooperatively and provided leadership in coordinating Division activities regarding the analysis of oral examination data from the first three years of the 1988-1994 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III-Phase I). Analytic teams met on a regular basis to prepare formal analysis plans, review analyses and prepare final manuscripts. Branch staff contributed to a series of initial analyses for a special issue of the Journal of Dental Research published early in 1996. Topics include tooth loss, edentulism, quality of prostheses, orofacial trauma, dental caries, tooth conditions and restorative treatment needs, and methodology. DPHP analyses are continuing to extract from this data base the intelligence needed to address key scientific and programmatic issues in support of the NIDR mission to improve the oral health of the U.S. population. Staff have performed preliminary analysis in order to assess the relations among functional limitations (ADLs, IADLs & Mobility Limitations), select oral health clinical measures and medical and dental services utilization patterns in the non-institutionalized 60 years of age and older population of the U.S.
