Oral health of adults in northern Norway – A pilot study

Abstract

There is a deficiency of data on oral health of adults in northern Norway, and available reports indicate poorer oral health in the north as compared with the rest of the country. The objective of this pilot study was to develop and test out tools for a larger epidemiological study of oral health among adults in northern Norway. The study was conducted in the municipalities of Nordkapp and Båtsfjord located in the northernmost county, Finnmark. Questionnaires and letters of invitation were sent to 100 randomly selected individuals in each town, in total 200. Those who filled and returned the questionnaires were sent appointment cards to a free oral examination at the local dental clinic. The main finding from the study was a low response rate; 34% responded to the questionnaire and 26.5% attended the oral examination. Response rate was highest among women above forty years old (37%) and lowest among men under forty years (12%). There is a necessity for further studies and strategies to increase response rate to subsequent oral epidemiologic studies in northern Norway. Radiological examination is not necessary for such studies but a questionnaire and a physical oral examination should be included.

Assessment of oral hygiene practices among medical students

“…A study conducted in Norway among adults by Sarah et al showed that only 28% visited a dentist when in pain or lost a filling and 51% visited a dentist regularly. 32 Another study in Southern Poland among adults by Wojciech et al observed only 8% visited a dentist for regular check-up and 53% visited a dentist only in case of a tooth ache. 33 This study was limited by the survey design being selfreported behaviors which may have led to over reporting of oral hygiene practices.…”

Periodontitis Prevalence and Severity in Adults: A Cross‐Sectional Study in Norwegian Circumpolar Communities

“…A power calculation, with a 95% confidence interval and a margin of error of 1.5%, indicated that 1,516 individuals needed to be examined to be able to describe the prevalence of severe periodontitis when hypothesizing a 10% prevalence as reported in the literature 7 . The total sample (N = 3,000) was based on a 50% attendance rate experienced in other epidemiologic studies in Norway 18,28‐30 . To obtain a representative selection of all regions in the county, the sample was stratified on three different areas: Tromsø (51,110 people: 46%), Southern Troms County (49,740 people: 44%), and northern Troms County (11,403 people: 10%).…”

“…7 The total sample (N = 3,000) was based on a 50% attendance rate experienced in other epidemiologic studies in Norway. 18,[28][29][30] To obtain a representative selection of all regions in the county, the sample was stratified on three different areas: Tromsø (51,110 people: 46%), Southern Troms County (49,740 people: 44%), and northern Troms County (11,403 people: 10%). Three thousand individuals were selected by simple random sampling technique from the population register by Statistics Norway, resulting in 1,380 people from Tromsø, 1,320 people from Southern Troms County, and 300 people from Northern Troms County.…”

Evaluation of oral hygiene awareness and practices among medical students

“…A study conducted in Norway among adults by Sarah et al showed that only 28% visited a dentist when in pain or lost a filling and 51% visited a dentist regularly. 16 Another study in Southern Poland among adults by Wojciech et al observed only 8% visited a dentist for regular check-up and 53% visited a dentist only in case of a tooth ache.…”