DENTAL STATUS OF 71015 NAVAL PERSONNEL AT FIRST EXAMINATION IN 1942

AGE AND REGIONAL DISTRIBUTION OF PERSONS WITH SPECIFIC TYPE DENTAL DEFECTS

¹ Naval Medical Research Institute, National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md.

1. The number of persons showing simple and compound cavities and restorations, teeth missing and teeth to be extracted, varied significantly according to their regions of birth in the United States. Generally speaking, more persons born in the New England and Middle Atlantic regions were dentally defective than those born in the West South Central and East South Central regions, particularly in the younger age groups. Examples of the high and low extremes in regional standard percentages of persons with 1 or more of the type dental defect are: simple restorations for Middle Atlantic 77.6 % and for West South Central 40.2%; compound restorations for Middle Atlantic 63.1% and for West South Central 27.9%; simple cavities for New England 71.4 % and for West South Central 61.7%; compound cavities for New England 46.7% and for West South Central 30.0%; teeth missing for Middle Atlantic 95.3% and for West South Central 84.0%; and teeth to be extracted for South Atlantic 14.7% and for Pacific 5.1%.

2. The percentage of persons in the older age groups with restorations (fillings) and missing teeth was greater, and with cavities and teeth to be extracted was less than in the younger age groups. These results agree with the impressions gained in a dental practice. Examples of the high and low extremes in age group percentages of persons with 1 or more of the type dental defect are: simple restorations for 30-34, 71.7% and for 17-19, 48.6%; compound restorations for 30-34, 64.0% and for 17-19, 31.4%; simple cavities for 17-19, 75.5% and for 40 and over, 37.1%; compound cavities for 20-24, 39.0% and for 40 and over, 26.8%; teeth missing for 40 and over, 95.2% and for 20-24, 86.8%; and teeth to be extracted for 17-19, 11.9% and for 35-39, 6.3%.