The dental status with respect to number of missing teeth and proximal periodontal bone height in relation to social factors were studied in a population sample of women 38-60 years of age. There was an overrepresentation of edentulous women among those who had grown up in a rural area, who had low education, and in those who belonged to a low socio-economic group (irrespective of whether the socio-economic group of the women themselves or of their husbands was studied), while no obvious differences were observed when the proximal periodontal bone height was studied in relation to social factors. The relationships between social factors and number of missing teeth seemed to be stronger than between social factors and any other variable included in the comprehensive population study, of which this examination of the dental status was one of a number of research projects.