Prevalence and severity of dental caries among 18-year-old Lithuanian adolescents

Miglė Žemaitienė,Rūta Grigalauskienė,Ingrida Vasiliauskienė,Kristina Saldūnaitė,Jaunė Razmienė,Eglė Slabšinskienė

doi:10.1016/j.medici.2016.01.006

Miglė Žemaitienė, Rūta Grigalauskienė + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.medici.2016.01.006

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Journal: Medicina	Publication Date: Jan 1, 2016
Citations: 17	License type: cc-by

Affiliation: Lithuanian University of Health Sciences

Abstract

ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence and severity of dental caries among 18-year-old Lithuanian adolescents and to disclose possible differences in the prevalence and severity of dental caries related to gender, urbanization, and different county. Material and methodsA total of 1063 18-year-old adolescents attending school, 427 boys and 636 girls from 10 Lithuanian counties including urban and rural areas, were included in the cross-sectional study on dental caries. The method of multistage cluster sampling was used. The dental examination was performed according to the methodology of oral status evaluation recommendations by the World Health Organization (WHO). The prevalence of dental caries, DMFT score, Significant Caries Index, and dental care index were determined. ResultsThe overall prevalence of dental caries among 18-year-old Lithuanian adolescents was 78.3%. The study population had a mean DMFT score of 2.93 [SD, 2.81]. Considering the gender, a higher DMFT score was observed among girls than boys (3.03 [SD, 2.88] versus 2.73 [SD, 2.71]) and in rural than urban areas (3.02 [SD, 2.98] versus 2.89 [SD, 2.73]). The Significant Caries Index and the dental care index among 18-year-old adolescents were 6.14 and 62.3%, respectively. ConclusionThis study showed a relatively high prevalence of dental caries. The existing differences of caries experience between the urban and the rural areas as well as between the counties could be influenced by the socioeconomic differences in the country.

Highlights

Dental caries is one of the most prevalent oral diseases of public health concern affecting adolescents [1]
This study showed a relatively high prevalence of dental caries
Table shows the prevalence of dental caries among adolescents by counties and presents the mean DMFT values by gender, living place, and county

Summary

Introduction

Dental caries is one of the most prevalent oral diseases of public health concern affecting adolescents [1]. Dental caries forms through a complex interaction over time between acidproducing bacteria and fermentable carbohydrate, and many host factors including teeth and saliva [2]. Adolescence is the period in the human life when the relationships between biological, behavioral, socioeconomic, and psychological conditions have a very strong effect on caries etiology [3]. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), adolescents are individuals aged from 10 to 19 years [4]. Late adolescence is very important for oral health because individual's personality, diet-related choices, oral hygiene behavior, and motivations formed during this period [6]. Behaviors and attitudes formed during adolescence usually last into adulthood [7]

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Conclusion