***TASK*** the task is to summarize an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***INPUT*** the input is a biomedical literature 
    ***OUTPUT*** the output is the summary of an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***DOCUMENTATION*** 
    ***EXAMPLES*** 
    Input: The objective of this study was to investigate whether there were associations between different aspects of  social network and social support  and dental status . The study sample ( n = 621 ) comprised a r and om half of all male residents in Malmö , Sweden , born in 1914 . Five hundred ( 80.5 % ) participated . Eight conceptually different aspects of social networks and social support were measured , and all men were clinical ly examined regarding number of teeth , prevalence of removable dentures ,  fixed bridges  and anterior open tooth spaces . We found that some aspects of dental status were associated with social class , while others were associated with different aspects of social network and social support . Prevalence of complete dentures and fixed bridges was strongly associated with social class , a low number of functioning teeth was associated with both low social class belonging and an insufficient social network and social support , while anterior open tooth spaces were associated mostly with an insufficient social network and social support . This study shows that there are significant associations between some aspects of dental status and the social network and social support of the individual , while other aspects of dental status are associated with social class , which from a psychosocial perspective contribute to a deeper underst and ing of the background s of dental status BACKGROUND The objectives of this study were to : 1 ) test hypotheses that behavioral factors , baseline clinical status , and incident tooth loss are significantly associated with attachment loss incidence ( ALI ) and 2 ) quantify the effect of incident tooth loss on conclusions made about ALI . METHODS The Florida Dental Care Study was a prospect i ve study of persons > or = 45 years old .  In-person interviews and examinations were conducted at baseline and 48 months , with telephone interviews in between . RESULTS Of 560 persons with baseline and 48-month examinations , 22 % of persons and 1.8 % of teeth had ALI . This was highest among persons with no dental visit during follow-up ( person-level incidence of 46 % ; 5.0 % tooth-level incidence ) . Statistically significant covariates in a multivariable regression of ALI were : losing a tooth due to periodontal reasons after baseline , but before the 48-month examination ; not receiving a dental cleaning ; and baseline factors ( worst attachment level of > or = 7 mm , not flossing , a molar tooth , current smoker ) . CONCLUSIONS A substantial percentage of persons experienced ALI . Baseline attachment level and behavioral factors were significantly associated with ALI . Persons with incident tooth loss were also at increased risk for ALI , and teeth lost during follow-up had worse baseline attachment level . Had these teeth not been lost before the final examination , the ALI estimate could only have been higher . These findings demonstrate that those at greatest risk for ALI are least likely to enter the dental care system , and among those who do , one health outcome ( tooth loss ) can affect conclusions made about the incidence of another ( ALI ) The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between number of missing teeth and  all cause , cardiovascular , and cancer mortality as well as morbidity  and to explore whether socio-economic factors mediate this association . An ongoing prospect i ve cohort study of 1462 Swedish women included a dental survey in 1968/69 with follow-up until 1992/93 . The dental examination included a panoramic radiographic survey and a question naire .  Number of missing teeth at baseline was analysed in a Cox proportional hazards model to estimate time to mortality and morbidity . Number of missing teeth , independently of socio-economic status variables ( the husb and ’s occupational category , combined income , and education ) was associated with increased all cause mortality and cardiovascular disease mortality respectively ( relative risk ( RR ) : 1.36 ; 95 % confidence interval ( 95 % CI ) : 1.18–1.58 ) and ( RR : 1.46 ; 95 % CI : 1.15–1.85 per 10 missing teeth ) , but no associations were found for cancer mortality ( RR : 1.18 ; 95 % CI : 0.91–1.52 ) . The relation between poor oral health and future cardiovascular disease could not be explained by measures of socio-economic status in this study The retention of natural teeth among the elderly is increasing and , in recent studies , dental caries has been identified as the main reason for teeth being extracted . The 5-year incidence of tooth loss and dental caries and the most crucial dental factors for tooth extraction were studied in a r and om sample of 60- , 70- and 80-year-old inhabitants of Gothenburg . Of the 208 persons examined at baseline , 148 ( 71 % ) participated in the follow-up examination : 69 , 51 and 28 respectively in the different age groups . In all , 110 teeth had been extracted during the period in 40 % of the participants . Only 9 persons had lost three or more teeth . The mean numbers of remaining teeth were 22 . 18 and 15 respectively in the 60- , 70- and 80-year age groups and the mean numbers of teeth lost during the 5-year period increased with age from 0.4 in the 60-year-olds to 0.8 and 1.4 in the 70- and 80-year-olds ( P < 0.05 ) . The major reason for tooth extraction was dental caries and it was found in 60 % of all cases and at a higher rate of 77 % in the oldest age group . Fifty-one per cent had developed new coronal carious lesions and 61 % had new root carious lesions , while 27 % had not developed caries during the period . The mean 5-year increment in decayed and filled coronal surfaces increased with age from 2.3 in the 60-year-olds to 3.7 and 5.3 in the 70- and 80-year-olds ( N.S.I. The increment in decayed and filled root surfaces was higher in women than men , 3.4 compared with 1.8 ( N.S. ) , which also increased with age from 1.4 in the 60-year-olds to 2.4 and 5.5 in the 70- and 80-year-olds ( P < 0.0001 ) . It was concluded from this study that few teeth had been lost during the 5-year period but that dental caries still appeared to be a serious problem among some very elderly people AIM To epidemiologically assess the periodontal conditions of the adult population in Switzerl and . MATERIAL AND METHODS During a ten-year period , a total of 1318 subjects were r and omly selected on the basis of a process involving the community rosters in seven regions ( Cantons ) of Switzerl and : ( Canton of Berne ; Canton of Zurich ; Western cantons ( GE , VD , NE ) ; Eastern cantons ( SG , AI , AR , TG , SH ) ; Southern cantons ( VS , GR , TI ) ; Central cantons ( LU , GL , ZG , UR , SZ , OW , NW ) and Northern cantons ( JU , FR , SO , AG , BL ) ) and encompassing all adult age groups ( 20 - 89 years ) . The subjects were examined in dental offices r and omly distributed throughout the country . The number of teeth present , the mean Plaque and Gingival as well as Retention Indices were assessed . Furthermore , pocket probing depths and loss of periodontal attachment were determined on all teeth . RESULTS Ninety-four ( 7.1 % ) of the subjects were completely edentulous leaving 1224 dentate individuals with an average of 21.65 teeth for analysis . In the youngest cohort ( 20 - 29 years ) 27.03 teeth were present . During the fourth to the seventh decade of life , tooth loss appeared to follow a linear pattern leaving 17.63 teeth in the age group of 60 - 69 years . The oldest age group of the 80 - 89 years old yielded 11.08 teeth . The mean scores of all clinical parameters increased significantly with increasing age . Mean PII in the youngest age group was PII : 0.72 ( SD : 0.38 ) and reached PII : 1.55 ( SD : 0.68 ) in the oldest . The corresponding mean GI were 1.17 ( SD : 0.31 ) and GI : 1.64 ( SD : 0.50 ) , respectively . The mean RI increased from 0.24 ( SD : 0.29 ) to RI : 1.34 ( SD : 0.70 ) in the oldest . Mean probing depth increased slightly from 20 to approximately 49 years . Thereafter , mean PPD remained around 3.0 mm . The loss of periodontal attachment increased dramatically after the age of 50 . CONCLUSIONS Periodontitis manifests itself after the age of 50 . The pronounced progressive attachment loss in the age cohorts over fifty years explained the marked loss of teeth in some individuals . From a public health point of view , it is indicated to make a major effort for periodontal prevention in the population approaching the second third of life OBJECTIVES To quantify racial and socioeconomic status ( SES ) disparities in oral health , as measured by tooth loss , and to determine the role of dental care use and other factors in explaining disparities . DATA SOURCES / STUDY SETTING The Florida Dental Care Study , comprising African Americans ( AAs ) and non-Hispanic whites 45 years old or older who had at least one tooth . STUDY DESIGN We used a prospect i ve cohort design . Relevant population characteristics were grouped by predisposing , enabling , and need variables . The key outcome was tooth loss , a leading measure of a population 's oral health , looked at before and after entering the dental care system . Tooth-specific data were used to increase inferential power by relating the loss of individual teeth to the disease level on those teeth . DATA COLLECTION METHODS In-person interviews and clinical examinations were done at baseline , 24 , and 48 months , with telephone interviews every 6 months . PRINCIPAL FINDINGS African Americans and persons of lower SES reported more new dental symptoms , but were less likely to obtain dental care . When they did receive care , they were more likely to experience tooth loss and less likely to report that dentists had discussed alternative treatments with them . At the first stage of analysis , differences in disease severity and new symptoms explained tooth loss disparities . Racial and SES differences in attitudes toward tooth loss and dental care were not contributory . Because almost all tooth loss occurs by means of dental extraction , the total effects of race and SES on tooth loss were artificially minimized unless disparities in dental care use were taken into account . CONCLUSIONS Race and SES are strong determinants of tooth loss . African Americans and lower SES persons had fewer teeth at baseline and still lost more teeth after baseline . Tooth-specific case-mix adjustment appears , statistically , to explain social disparity variation in tooth loss . However , when social disparities in dental care use are taken into account , social disparities in tooth loss that are not directly due to clinical circumstance become evident . This is because AAs and lower SES persons are more likely to receive a dental extraction once they enter the dental care system , given the same disease extent and severity . This phenomenon underscores the importance of underst and ing how disparities in health care use , dental insurance coverage , and service receipt contribute to disparities in health . Absent such underst and ing , the total effects of race and SES on health can be underestimated The purpose of this study was to collect information on the main causes of tooth loss in the western states of Germany as perceived by dentists and their patients . Sixty-eight dentists , out of 80 that were selected with a systematic r and om method for an epidemiological study in the western states of Germany , recorded their reason for tooth extraction .  Included in the study were only extraction s of permanent teeth during a period of 2 weeks ( March 1990 ) , up to a maximum of 20 patients per dentist . Of 926 returned question naires , 882 could be evaluated . In all 1215 teeth in 882 patients were extracted . The extraction of third molars was included as a reason , when caries , periodontal reasons and others were not indicated . Caries was the reason given for 20.7 % of all extraction s ; periodontal diseases for 27.3 % ; caries and periodontal reasons for 18.7 % ; third molars for 14.7 % ; prosthetic reasons for 11.2 % ; orthodontic reasons for 4.1 % ; trauma for 0.4 % and others for 2.9 % . While caries is a major reason in all age groups , periodontal diseases and the combination of caries and periodontal reasons are more frequent than all other reasons for the age groups beyond 40 or 45 yr , respectively . The third molar was the most often extracted tooth . The patients were asked for their main reason for tooth  extraction . For the patients , pain was the major reason for extraction ( 47.2 % ) . According to the participating dentists periodontal disease is the most frequent cause of tooth extraction for people over 40 yr of age , while for those below 40 yr of age , caries and third molar extraction s are the most frequent reasons BACKGROUND The aim of this 5-year follow-up study was to clinical ly and radiographically evaluate the long-term results after guided tissue regeneration ( GTR ) therapy of Class II furcation defects using non-resorbable and bioabsorbable barriers . METHODS Nine pairs of contralateral Class II furcation defects were treated in 9 patients with advanced periodontitis . Within each patient , one defect received a non-resorbable ( exp and ed polytetrafluoroethylene [ ePTFE ] ; control , C ) barrier and the other a bioabsorbable ( polyglactin 910 ; test , T ) barrier by r and om assignment . At baseline , 6 , and 60 + /- 3 months after surgery , 
    Output:
    
Generally , teeth surrounded by healthy periodontal tissues yield a very high longevity ( up to 99.5 % over 50 years ) .
Likewise , endodontically compromised , but successfully treated devital teeth yield high survival and success rates .
Teeth will last for life , unless they are affected by oral diseases or service interventions .
Many retained teeth thus may be an indicator of positive oral health behaviour throughout the life course .
Tooth longevity is largely dependent on the health status of the periodontium , the pulp or periapical region and the extent of reconstructions .
Oral implants when evaluated after 10 years of service do not surpass the longevity of even compromised but successfully treated natural teeth