Methodological considerations in a dental epidemiologic survey of an elderly population.

The proportion of the US population that is age 65 or over is increasing and edentulism rates are declining. The community's elderly population is becoming an increasingly important constituency for dental public health. Little is known, however, about the actual oral health status of these people. An assessment of oral health in the elderly presents many considerations not found in an assessment of oral health among children. The selection of subjects to represent all the elderly in the community is difficult. Caries assessment is complicated by the need to distinguish between coronal caries and root caries and by the inability to determine accurately the reason for prior tooth loss. Periodontal assessment is more difficult than in younger populations because the conditions tend to be advanced. The recruitment of participants is difficult because each potential subject must be contacted individually. These assessments are needed so the oral status of adult populations can be determined.