Prevalence of Approximal Caries in Posterior Teeth in 15-Year-Old Swedish Teenagers in Relation to Their Caries Experience at 3 Years of Age

Abstract

The aim of the present investigation was to study the prevalence of approximal caries lesions and fillings in posterior teeth at 15 years of age in a prospectively followed Swedish population (n = 568), with special reference to their caries experience at the age of 3 years. Only approximal surfaces were recorded, since all children in the Community of Jönköping have had fissure sealing performed on all caries-free permanent molars. At 15 years of age, the mean number of approximal tooth surfaces with initial caries lesions (D_ia), manifest caries lesions and fillings (D_mFa) and total caries experience and fillings (D_{i + m}Fa) – recorded on bitewing radiographs – was 2.78 , 0.45 and 3.23, respectively. One third of the adolescents had no approximal caries or fillings; the D_ia constituted 86% of the D_{i + m}Fa. Children with manifest caries at 3 years of age had a higher risk of developing approximal caries in their permanent teeth than caries-free children at the same age (41 vs. 17%). Furthermore, children who were caries-free at 3 years of age were more likely to remain caries-free at 15 years of age compared to children with manifest caries (37 vs. 17%). All these differences were statistically significant (p < 0.001). Additionally, early childhood caries experience (developed before 3 years of age) had a greater predictive value than late childhood caries experience (developed between 3 and 6 years of age) concerning approximal caries at 15 years of age.