Oral health status of adult population in Athens, Greece.

An epidemiological study of dental caries, periodontal disease, and oral hygiene status in 736 employed adults aged 19-64 yr, was conducted in Athens, Greece. Dental caries was found to be prevalent, affecting almost the entire population examined. The mean DMFT values varied from 8.99 +/- 5.98 to 17.05 +/- 6.58 in different age groups. No difference was found in the mean DMFT values between sexes. Periodontal disease affected the 92.7% of the examined sample. The PI scores increased with age from 1.08 +/- 0.84 in the age group 19-24 yr to 3.7 +/- 1.84 in the age group 55-64 yr. Women showed lower PI index values than men but this difference was not statistically significant. The mean values of oral hygiene index varied from 1.60 +/- 1.05 to 1.97 +/- 1.42 in different age groups. Women presented better oral hygiene status than men and this difference was statistically significant for the younger age groups. Data concerning the toothbrushing frequency of the examined population are also presented. The results of this baseline study indicate that effective dental care is needed for the improvement of oral health status of the adult population.