Abstract
BackgroundBefore strategies or protocols for oral health care can be advised at population level, epidemiological information on tooth decay patterns and its effects on oral function are indispensable. The aim of this study was to investigate influences of socio-demographic variables on the prevalence of decayed, missing, filled (DMF) and sound teeth (St) and to determine the relative risk of teeth in different dental regions for D, M, and F, of adults living in urban and rural areas in Southern Vietnam.MethodsCross-sectional DMF and St data of 2965 dentate subjects aged 20 to 95 living in urban and rural areas in three provinces were collected by means of a self-administered questionnaire and an oral examination. The sample was stratified by age, gender, residence and province.ResultsThe percentage of subjects having missing teeth was high for all ages while it was low for subjects with decayed and filled teeth. The mean number of missing teeth increased gradually by age from approximately 1 in each jaw at the age of 20 to 8 at the age of 80. The number of decayed teeth was relative low at all ages, being highest in molars at young ages. The mean number of filled teeth was extremely low at all ages in all dental regions. Every additional year of age gives a significantly lower chance for decay, a higher chance for missing, and a lower chance for filled teeth. Molars had a significantly higher risk for decay, missing and filled than premolars and anterior teeth. Females had significantly higher risk for decayed and filled teeth, and less chance for missing teeth than males. Urban subjects presented lower risk for decay, but approximately 4 times greater chance for having fillings than rural subjects. Low socio-economic status (SES) significantly increased the chance for missing anterior and molar teeth; subjects with high SES had more often fillings.ConclusionsThe majority of adults of Southern Vietnam presented a reduced dentition. The combination of low numbers of filled teeth and relative high numbers of decayed and missing teeth indicates that the main treatment for decay is extraction. Molars are more at risk for being decayed or missing than premolars and anterior teeth.
Highlights
Before strategies or protocols for oral health care can be advised at population level, epidemiological information on tooth decay patterns and its effects on oral function are indispensable
From 25 years of age, the D component for the upper jaw is slightly higher than for the lower jaw. This trend can be seen in all dental regions (Figures 2 and 3) except in the molar region (Figure 4), where the D component for the lower jaw is relatively high in subjects under the age of approximately 40 years
Because the inclusion aimed at equal distribution of subjects according to residence, province, gender, and age groups, the sample cannot be considered to be representative for Southern Vietnam
Summary
Before strategies or protocols for oral health care can be advised at population level, epidemiological information on tooth decay patterns and its effects on oral function are indispensable. The National Oral Health Survey of Vietnam 2001 showed that the prevalence of caries amongst adults in Vietnam is high [1] According to this survey, the numbers of decayed/missing/filled teeth (DMFT) in subjects aged 45 years and over ranged from 6.09 to 11.66 in different regions of Vietnam. Absent molars are considered to have less impact on oral functions and quality of life than absent anterior teeth [3,4,5] Based on this knowledge, concepts like the “shortened dental arch” have been developed as a possible solution in situations where dental services are limited or unaffordable. In a review paper of the feasibility of the shortened dental arch concept has been demonstrated for several countries, including a low-income country (Tanzania) [6,7]
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