SUBJECTIVELY REPORTED ORAL HEALTH-STATUS IN AN ADULT-POPULATION

This study describes the subjectively reported oral health status of a n adult population aged 18 yr and over. The study used measures of the functional, social and psychological impact of oral disorders, origin ally developed for surveys of older adults, and aimed to determine whe ther or not they were sensitive to the oral health concerns of younger adults. It compared four age groups (18-29 yr; 30-49 yr; 50-64 yr; 65 yr and over) in terms of the following subjective oral health indicat ors: ability to chew, problems speaking, oral and facial pain; other o ral symptoms; problems eating; problems with communication-social rela tions; limitations in activities of daily living and worry and concern . The initial hypothesis that few younger subjects would report the ki nds of problems documented by these indicators was not supported. On a ll measures except ability to chew, younger subjects were as likely to be compromised by oral conditions as older subjects.