NIDCR/CDC
Dental, Oral and Craniofacial
Data Resource Center

Oral Health, U.S. 2002 Annual Report

Section 4: TOOTH LOSS

A full dentition in adults is defined as the presence of all natural teeth, not including third molars. Approximately 30% of the U.S. population aged 18 and older were fully dentate in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) 1988–1994 (Marcus et al., 1996).

SOURCES OF DATA
Analyses reported here are based on the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) 1988–1994, National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the 1999 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. NHANES III used clinical exams while BRFSS contains self-reported data.

• Demographic differences (Figure 4.1.1)
• The proportion of persons with full dentition was lower in the older age groups.
• A greater percentage of non-Hispanic whites and Mexican Americans had full dentitions compared to non-Hispanic blacks.
• The percentage of persons with a full dentition was higher at each successive educational level.

• Differences by federal poverty level (Figure 4.1.2)
• A greater percentage of persons living at or above the federal poverty level had full dentitions.
• At both poverty levels, a greater percentage of non-Hispanic whites and Mexican Americans compared to non-Hispanic blacks had full dentitions.

• Differences by income (Figure 4.1.3)
• The percentage of persons with full dentitions was greater at each higher income level.

Bullets reference data that can be found in Table 4.1.1.

REFERENCES
Marcus SE, Drury TF, Brown LJ, Zion GR. Tooth retention and tooth loss in the permanent dentition of adults: United States, 1988–1991. J Dent Res 1996;75:684–695.

Figure 4.1.1. Percentage of adults aged 18 and older with full dentition by demographic variables*

[D]

*Age standardized to the year 2000 U.S. population except for age groups.

Data source: The Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) 1988–1994, National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Figure 4.1.2. Percentage of adults aged 18 and older with full dentition by race/ethnicity and federal poverty level (FPL)*

[D]

*Age standardized to the year 2000 U.S. population.

Data source: The Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) 1988–1994, National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Figure 4.1.3. Percentage of adults aged 18 and older with full dentition by annual family income*

[D]

*Age standardized to the year 2000 U.S. population.

Data source: 1999 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Department of Health and Human Services
National Institute of Dental And Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)	CDC Division of Oral Health
National Institutes of Health

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