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Abstract
BackgroundTo assess the prevalence and severity of caries in 12- and 15-year-old schoolchildren, and to analyse the related risk factors.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study on a random sample of 1843 schoolchildren aged 12 and 15 from Galicia (northwest of Spain). Self-administered questionnaire and dental clinical examination were performed to obtain information about oral health habits, dental caries and oral hygiene. A logistic regression model including dental-caries-related variables was generated for each age group.ResultsThe respective findings for 12- and 15-years-old were as follows: decayed, missing, filled teeth index both for permanent and temporary dentition (DMFT/dmft) of 0.89 (95% CI, 0.87–0.91) and 1.38 (95% CI, 1.33–1.43), respectively; caries prevalence 39.6% (95% CI, 36.3–42.9) and 51.7% (95% CI, 48.0–55.4), respectively. In the 12-year-old group, individuals who occasionally, never or hardly ever brushed their teeth had higher values of caries (OR = 1.83, 95% CI 1.07–3.15, and OR = 9.14, 95% CI1.63–51.17, respectively). Also, the presence of plaque on more than 1/3 gingival was statistically associated with an increase of caries (OR = 2.03; 95% CI, 1.11–3.70), and living in a rural environment was a risk factor (OR = 1.3; 95% CI,1.02–1.80). In the 15-year-old group, higher caries risk was found when brushing was performed once a day (OR = 1.61; 95% CI,1.03–2.50), and among individuals who visited private clinics (OR = 1.77; 95% CI, 1.17–2.66), while electric toothbrush was associated with a lower caries risk (OR = 0.50; 95% CI, 0.29–0.86).ConclusionsThis study revealed that risk factors of dental caries showed differences in schoolchildren of 12- and 15-year-old. Strongest evidence related to caries in 12-year-old group were found in frequency of toothbrushing and dental plaque. In 15-year old group, electric toothbrush, time since the last visit to the dentist and type of dental care (public/private) had a stronger association with dental caries. Caries prevalence and mean DMFT/dmft increased from 12- to 15-year-old, in spite of improvement in oral hygiene at the age of 15.
Highlights
To assess the prevalence and severity of caries in 12- and 15-year-old schoolchildren, and to analyse the related risk factors
This study showed that risk factors of dental caries are not the same in both age groups
This study showed at age 12, the presence of dental plaque on more than 1/3 gingival was associated with higher caries levels, suggesting that poor oral hygiene significantly increases caries risk
Summary
To assess the prevalence and severity of caries in 12- and 15-year-old schoolchildren, and to analyse the related risk factors. Its prevalence among children and adolescents living in developed countries has decreased significantly in recent decades, increasing the number of caries-free subjects. Despite its being largely preventable, the disease remains a major public health problem in developed and developing countries because of the increase in consumption of sugary substances, poor oral hygiene practices, and inadequate use of dental services [1,2,3,4]. An improvement in dental health was observed in Galician schoolchildren during the period 1995–2005 with a remarkable reduction in decayed, missing and filled teeth index (DMFT > 0) among 12year-olds (from 64.2% in 1995 to 52.7% in 2005) [5]
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