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In 1977-78. a baseline study group of 449 Finnish adults aged 30 years and over was examined in an urban area with a very high supply of dental services. The follow-up study in 1988 represents longitudinal data on 297 of these adults. In 1989 a new sample of persons aged 30-39 years was also obtained to provide cross-sectional information comparable to that of the corresponding age group in the 1977-78 survey. At baseline in 1977-78, the prevalence of total tooth loss was 19.4% for adults aged 30 years and over. The corresponding figures for maxillary and mandibular edentulousness alone were 16.7% and 0.4% respectively. Ninety-four percent of totally edentulous and 89.6% of single-arch edentulous subjects were prosthetically rehabilitated. In the follow-up study, 7.7%, of the originally dentate women and 6.7% of men had lost the rest of their teeth. For the new totally edentulous subjects the mean number of teeth lost was 5.7 (s 3.45), most of which were incisors. In the follow-up study, 89% of the new edentulous subjects had already been edentulous in the maxilla at baseline. Among 30-39-year-olds the proportions of upper-arch and totally edentulous subjects in 1977-78/1989 were 6.7%/0.8% and 2.2%/0.8% respectively (P=0.024 for the difference between the time points). In the light of the repeated cross-sectional study, we can conclude that edentulism is very uncommon in the 30-39-year age group in this urban area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Finland, not only dentists but also dental technicians with special training have the right to supply clients with complete dentures. The present study investigated how the demand for their services is distributed between these two professional groups, and what are the factors affecting the distribution. The material consisted of 220 randomly selected subjects who had lost all their teeth in one or both jaws. Of the full dentures worn, 50 % had been made by a dentist and 41% by a dental technician, while in 10 % one denture, either maxillary or mandibular, was made by a dentist and the other by a dental technician. 56 % of the subjects said they would choose a dental technician the next time they needed a denture, the main reason being the lower cost. To the extent that subsidized health center services become more general and patients are more able to get treatment by dentists at a reduced cost, it seems probable that the majority of the edentulous will again resort to the dentists. However, judging by the current attitudes, a considerable number of the edentulous will continue to resort directly to the dental technician for the supply of dentures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]