Distribution and Polarization of Caries in Adolescent Populations.

Helen Schill,Jan Kühnisch,Norbert Krämer,Uta Christine Wölfle,Reinhard Hickel,Joachim Heinrich,Marie Standl

doi:10.3390/ijerph18094878

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the proportion of adolescents with severe caries to analyze the prevalence of caries and to visualize the unequal distribution. Data from three epidemiological studies (10- and 15-year-olds: GINIplus and LISA cohorts in Munich, Bavaria; 12-year-olds: LAGZ survey in Bavaria, Germany) with 2875 adolescents were available for analysis. All individuals were examined according to the WHO standard. Statistics included the calculation of mean dmft/DMFT values (standard deviation), Significant Caries Index (SiC) values, Specific Affected Caries Index (SaC) values, and Lorenz curves. Overall caries-free status was 58.6% in primary and 83.9% in secondary teeth (10-year-olds), 61.5% (12-year-olds), and 64.6% (15-year-olds). The proportion of 12- and 15-year-olds with at least four DMFTs was 9.4% and 8.3%, respectively. In addition, eight 15-year-olds with DMFT values ≥8 (0.6%) were registered. The SaC/SiC values amounted to 1.8/0.9 DMFT (10-year-olds), 2.6/2.8 DMFT (12-year-olds), and 2.5/2.5 DMFT (15-year-olds). The mean DMFT values in the upper 1% of subjects were 4.2 DMFT (10-year-olds), 8.5 DMFT (12-year-olds), and 8.5 DMFT (15-year-olds). Thus, caries is not equally distributed throughout adolescence, but individuals with severe caries are rare. Nevertheless, further interdisciplinary research seems to be needed to clarify potential risk factors.

Highlights

In recent decades, many industrialized nations have seen a remarkable decline in prevalence, experience, and incidence of caries [1,2,3]
Ethical approval was received from the corresponding ethical boards
Experience, and polarization of caries are presented in Tables 2 and 3

Summary

Introduction

Many industrialized nations have seen a remarkable decline in prevalence, experience, and incidence of caries [1,2,3]. Despite this encouraging trend, caries remains a global burden, and approximately 3.5 billion individuals remain with both untreated caries and the associated challenges [4,5]. In Germany, the documented prevalence and experience of caries has decreased constantly over time, reaching an alltime low, especially in younger generations that have probably benefitted substantially from individual- and group-based preventive programs. The population-wide burden of caries has fallen, it is a well-known epidemiological trend.

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Discussion

Conclusion