New data from the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS) suggest Canadians are retaining more of their natural teeth than they were 15 years ago, but indicators of gum disease have worsened sharply.
The findings, released Monday by Statistics Canada, are based on the first set of clinical oral-health assessments collected since 2007–09.
Cycle 7 of the CHMS, conducted from November 2022 to December 2024, offers the first updated look at Canadians’ oral health using “direct measures”—objective clinical assessments considered more reliable than self-reported data.
Steep decline in complete tooth loss among seniors
The proportion of seniors aged 60 to 79 with complete tooth loss dropped from 22 per cent in 2007–09 to eight per cent in 2022–24. Among all adults aged 20 to 79, edentulism fell from six per cent to three per cent over the same period.
Researchers attribute the trend to decades of improvements in dental care, shifting treatment philosophies, and greater emphasis on preserving natural dentition.
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Tooth decay largely unchanged across age groups
Despite progress in retaining teeth, the burden of dental caries has not improved.
- Children aged 6 to 11: 57% had at least one affected tooth — unchanged from 2007–09.
- Youth aged 12 to 19: 58% had at least one affected permanent tooth, similar to 59% in 2007–09.
- Adults aged 20 to 79: 93% had at least one permanent tooth affected, compared with 96% in 2007–09.
For the first time, the CHMS measured caries in children aged 1 to 5, finding 17 per cent had at least one decayed primary tooth.
The severity of decay — measured through the DMFT/dmft index — was also stable, with children averaging 2.4 affected teeth, youth 2.3, and adults 9.7.
New measure shows advanced untreated disease common
The survey introduced the PUFA index to assess advanced consequences of untreated decay.
PUFA lesions affected 7% of children and youth and 22% of adults, signalling persistent gaps in early intervention and access to care.
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Gum health has worsened
Periodontal indicators show a clear deterioration since 2007–09.
- Adults with shallow 0–2 mm gum pockets fell from 45% to 13%.
- Prevalence of 3 mm pockets rose from 34% to 51%.
- 4 mm pockets increased from 11% to 21%.
- 5 mm pockets nearly doubled, from 5% to 9%.
Although two-thirds of adults still fall within a “generally healthy” 0–3 mm range, deeper pockets — an indicator of established gum disease — now affect more than one-third of adults, up from one-in-five.
Bleeding on probing — a sign of active inflammation — was found in 83% of adults aged 20 to 79. Rates were highest among adults aged 20 to 39 (90%).
Statistics Canada, meanwhile, notes these trends align with worsening periodontal patterns seen in recent UK and Australian studies, linked to rising costs, limited preventive care and uneven dental-insurance coverage.