A comparison of oral health in two different samples of 70-year-old men and women living in the city of Umeå in 1981 and 1990 showed that a higher frequency of dental visits among men could be expected in the city population in 1990 (95% CI). The frequency and pattern of reported oral problems was similar in 1981 and 1990. Total edentulousness among men and women in 1981/1990 was 31.3/21.4 and 53.5/35.7% respectively. The lower frequency in 1990 was not statistically significant on the population level. The mean number of teeth was lower in dentated men (12.8 +/- 6.0 V.S. 17.4 +/- 5.4) (p 3 mm in the cohort examined in 1990. Although, the compared 70-year-old city cohorts in Umeå examined in 1981 and 199 showed a higher frequency of dental visits and of dentated subjects, no improvement in reported oral health or dental status could be found in the 70-year-old in Umeå in 1990.