EPIDEMIOLOGIC-STUDY OF SOUND SURFACE TRENDS IN A 10-YEAR LONGITUDINAL-STUDY

Longitudinal data of 589 men aged 30-65 yr, each followed for 10 yr, w ere analyzed to identify variables which may be associated with health y tooth surface loss. A longitudinal linear growth curve model was use d. As expected, older cohorts tended to have fewer sound surfaces (P<0 .02), but they also tended to have greater rates of sound surface loss (P<0.01). Age, bone loss, number of teeth at baseline, gingivitis, po cket depth and calculus were individually correlated (P<0.05) with the rate of sound surface loss. The number of filled or diseased surfaces at baseline was also marginally correlated (P<0.06) with rate of soun d surface loss.