Though foreign citizens today constitute 5% of the population of Sweden, very few attempts have been made to assess the types and amount of dental disease and treatment needed by different immigrant populations. A survey, including a clinical and radiographic examination for dental health, was carried out on an age-stratified probability sample of 170 Finnish citizens, 20-80 years old, living in the community of Huddinge, a suburb of Stockholm. The study showed that in the age group 20-29 years 90% and in the older age groups 60% of the dentate subjects had caries. All of them had gingivitis. 20% of subjects aged 20 to 39 years and 54% of those aged 40 and over had the diagnosis parodontitis gravis, indicating a time-consuming need for periodontal treatment. Periapical lesions were frequent and more than half of the root fillings present were poor. This study indicates poorer dental health and a greater need for dental treatment in this group of Finnish immigrants than in Swedish populations.

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Finland Oral Health human DMF index health service health status Aged ethnology Health Services Needs and Demand health Sweden male female Periodontal Index periodontics Article adult migration Emigration and Immigration Middle Age health survey