| Demographic Group: | Resident persons aged >=65 years. |
| Numerator: | Respondents aged >=65 years who report having no remaining natural teeth. |
| Denominator: | Respondents aged >=65 years (exclude unknowns and refusals). |
| Measures of Frequency: | Annual prevalence — crude and age-adjusted (standardized by the direct method to the year 2000 standard U.S. population, distribution 18*) — with 95% confidence interval. |
| Time Period of Case Definition: | Current. |
| Background: | Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) III indicated that 9.7% of person aged >=18 years in the United States were edentulous (i.e., having no natural teeth). For persons aged 65–74 years, 28.6% were edentulous. For persons aged >=75 years, 40.3% were edentulous. |
| Significance: | Loss of all natural permanent teeth (complete tooth loss) substantially reduces quality of life, self-image, and daily functioning. |
| Limitations of Indicator: | Health beliefs, societal attitudes, and history of dental treatment affect the levels of complete tooth loss. The indicator does not consider these questions. |
| Data Resources: | Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).
http://www.cdc.gov/nohss/ |
| Limitations of Data Resources: | As with all self-reported sample surveys, BRFSS data might be subject to systematic error resulting from noncoverage (e.g., lower telephone coverage among populations of low socioeconomic status), nonresponse (e.g., refusal to participate in the survey or to answer specific questions), or measurement (e.g., social desirability or recall bias). |
| Healthy People 2010 Objectives: | 21-4: Reduce the proportion of older adults who have had all their natural teeth extracted. |
