Caries Outcomes Research Articles

Projecting the economic impact of silver diamine fluoride on caries treatment expenditures and outcomes in young U.S. children.

To quantify the economic impact of using silver diamine fluoride (SDF) to arrest the progression of dental caries in Medicaid-enrolled children (aged 1-5 years) relative to the standard restorative treatment from the Medicaid programs' perspective. We used Monte Carlo simulation to estimate averted restorative visits and associated expenditures for varying SDF effectiveness and intervention penetration levels. We compared the current standard of care for treating caries to applying SDF. We estimated expenditures from the 2010-2012 Medicaid Analytic Extract files for seven US states and the incremental cost effectiveness ratio for SDF application on averted restorative visits. Across the seven states, averted restorative visits ranged from 2,049 (Vermont) to 60,542 (North Carolina), assuming an SDF penetration level of 50%. Averted per-restorative visit costs ranged from $100 to $350 per-visit. There were higher averted per-restorative visit costs in nonmetropolitan counties than metropolitan counties. Providing SDF as a caries management strategy can reduce Medicaid program dental care expenditures by averting expensive caries treatment options. It could also prevent stressful restorative procedures. State Medicaid programs should consider reimbursing for SDF to arrest the progression of dental caries in young children.

Impact of untreated dental caries on oral health of adolescents from cities in the countryside of Rio Grande do Sul

Introduction: Dental caries is a major public health problem around the world, because it can cause pain and suffering to individuals. Even with a decline in childhood disease in recent years, it is observed in many countries.
 Objective: The objective of this research is to analyze the mean of dental caries and the prevalence of untreated caries and associated factors in students from the southern region of Brazil.
 Methods: The approach of this study is quantitative, with a cross-sectional design. The research sample was composed of 77 adolescents from the state schools of the urban area of the municipalities of Ciríaco and David Canabarro, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. For the data collection, clinical exams were performed, using the DMFT index, and the application of two semistructured questionnaires to adolescents and their parents. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and inferential statistics to the Pearson chi-square test and ANOVA at a significance level of 5%.
 Results: The prevalence of untreated dental caries in the final sample was 40.3% and the DMFT index (decayed, missing and filled teeth) 2.32, there was no statistical difference between cities. There was a statistically significant relationship between the variable toothache in the last six months and the outcome of untreated caries (p = 0.012) with 76% of those who had pain. There was also an association between the variable perception of the treatment at the last visit and untreated caries (p = 0.021), with 84.6% of adolescents considering poor / regular treatment.
 Conclusion: Although the average dental caries has been low, many adolescents have decayed and untreated teeth, with toothache and lack of quality in dental treatment being the factors that most impacted.

One-to-one oral hygiene advice provided in a dental setting for oral health.

Effective oral hygiene measures carried out on a regular basis are vital to maintain good oral health. One-to-one oral hygiene advice (OHA) within the dental setting is often provided as a means to motivate individuals and to help achieve improved levels of oral health. However, it is unclear if one-to-one OHA in a dental setting is effective in improving oral health and what method(s) might be most effective and efficient. To assess the effects of one-to-one OHA, provided by a member of the dental team within the dental setting, on patients' oral health, hygiene, behaviour, and attitudes compared to no advice or advice in a different format. Cochrane Oral Health's Information Specialist searched the following databases: Cochrane Oral Health's Trials Register (to 10 November 2017); the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL; 2017, Issue 10) in the Cochrane Library (searched 10 November 2017); MEDLINE Ovid (1946 to 10 November 2017); and Embase Ovid (1980 to 10 November 2017). The US National Institutes of Health Ongoing Trials Register (ClinicalTrials.gov) and the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform were also searched for ongoing trials (10 November 2017). No restrictions were placed on the language or date of publication when searching the electronic databases. Reference lists of relevant articles and previously published systematic reviews were handsearched. The authors of eligible trials were contacted, where feasible, to identify any unpublished work. We included randomised controlled trials assessing the effects of one-to-one OHA delivered by a dental care professional in a dental care setting with a minimum of 8 weeks follow-up. We included healthy participants or participants who had a well-defined medical condition. At least two review authors carried out selection of studies, data extraction and risk of bias independently and in duplicate. Consensus was achieved by discussion, or involvement of a third review author if required. Nineteen studies met the criteria for inclusion in the review with data available for a total of 4232 participants. The included studies reported a wide variety of interventions, study populations, clinical outcomes and outcome measures. There was substantial clinical heterogeneity amongst the studies and it was not deemed appropriate to pool data in a meta-analysis. We summarised data by categorising similar interventions into comparison groups.Comparison 1: Any form of one-to-one OHA versus no OHAFour studies compared any form of one-to-one OHA versus no OHA.Two studies reported the outcome of gingivitis. Although one small study had contradictory results at 3 months and 6 months, the other study showed very low-quality evidence of a benefit for OHA at all time points (very low-quality evidence).The same two studies reported the outcome of plaque. There was low-quality evidence that these interventions showed a benefit for OHA in plaque reduction at all time points.Two studies reported the outcome of dental caries at 6 months and 12 months respectively. There was very low-quality evidence of a benefit for OHA at 12 months.Comparison 2: Personalised one-to-one OHA versus routine one-to-one OHAFour studies compared personalised OHA versus routine OHA.There was little evidence available that any of these interventions demonstrated a difference on the outcomes of gingivitis, plaque or dental caries (very low quality).Comparison 3: Self-management versus professional OHAFive trials compared some form of self-management with some form of professional OHA.There was little evidence available that any of these interventions demonstrated a difference on the outcomes of gingivitis or plaque (very low quality). None of the studies measured dental caries.Comparison 4: Enhanced one-to-one OHA versus one-to-one OHASeven trials compared some form of enhanced OHA with some form of routine OHA.There was little evidence available that any of these interventions demonstrated a difference on the outcomes of gingivitis, plaque or dental caries (very low quality). There was insufficient high-quality evidence to recommend any specific one-to-one OHA method as being effective in improving oral health or being more effective than any other method. Further high-quality randomised controlled trials are required to determine the most effective, efficient method of one-to-one OHA for oral health maintenance and improvement. The design of such trials should be cognisant of the limitations of the available evidence presented in this Cochrane Review.

Inequalities in dental caries in children within the UK: Have there been changes over time?

To examine any change over time in the association between deprivation and caries experience between 2003 and 2013 in a nationally representative sample of UK children. Data from UK Children's Dental Health Surveys, 2003 and 2013, were used. The target population was 5-, 8-, 12- and 15-year-olds. A total of 9604 children in 2003 and 9866 in 2013 were included in the surveys. Outcome variables were any active caries, caries experience and total number of carious teeth. Family socio-economic position (SEP) or deprivation level was measured at school level using eligibility for free school meals (FSM) to identify children from low-income families. Incidence rate ratios (IRR) and pooled standardized incidence rates ratios were calculated to measure dichotomous outcome variables by year, age group and status of deprivation. The study continuous outcome was modelled using a zero-inflated Poisson regression while the dichotomous outcomes were modelled using logistic regressions. The multivariable analyses were run by age groups accounting for year, sex and deprivation status. The percentage of those identified as deprived was significantly higher in 2013 (35.8% in 2013 vs 26.0% in 2003, P<0.001). Among both deprived and non-deprived children, the prevalence of any active caries significantly dropped over the years, observed in all age groups. Comparing 2013 with 2003 and accounting for sex, deprivation level, "any active caries," "any caries experience" and "total number of carious teeth" significantly dropped were observed in all age groups. Comparing the years, the association of deprivation with caries outcomes mostly remained the same or decreased. This decrease was predominantly seen in "any caries experience." Only among the 5-year-olds, did the association between deprivation and total number of carious teeth over the years significantly increase. For all age groups, the likelihood of "any active caries" and "total number of carious teeth" by deprivation remained the same comparing the two points in time: 2003 and 2013. However, irrespective of year, deprivation was significantly associated with caries observed in all age groups. In the UK, the prevalence of active dental caries and caries experience has decreased in the period between 2003 and 2013. Similarly, the likelihood of having dental caries by deprivation in 2013 was predominantly lower than that observed in 2003.

Increased Dental Use May Affect Changes in Treated and Untreated Dental Caries in Young Children.

From 1999-2004 to 2011-2014, untreated dental caries prevalence decreased among US children aged 2 to 5 y, regardless of family income. Policies were concurrently initiated for children to increase access to preventive dental services in dental, primary, and community settings and to restorative care in dental settings. We aimed to examine 1) whether changes in prevalence and severity of untreated and treated caries between the periods varied by family income and 2) to what degree increased past-year dental visit (PYDV) contributed to the changes. We used data for 3,822 children in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999 to 2004 and 2011 to 2014. Caries prevalence included prevalence of untreated caries with ≥1 decayed teeth (dt) and prevalence of treated caries with ≥1 filled teeth (ft). Caries severity included number of dt and ft among those with ≥1 dt or ft. We estimated changes in caries outcomes among low- and higher-income children with models-one controlling for sociodemographics and another controlling for sociodemographics and PYDV. Significant changes ( P < 0.05) becoming insignificant after controlling for PYDV provide insight on the contribution of PYDV to changes in outcomes. Prevalence of untreated caries decreased for low- and higher-income children, with a slightly larger decrease for low-income children; dt decreased only for low-income children; and estimated decreases did not vary by model. An increase in prevalence of treated caries was observed only among low-income children but became minimized and insignificant after controlling for PYDV. Similarly, after controlling for PYDV, the increase in ft among low-income children lost significance, whereas the increase among higher-income children remained. Untreated caries among children aged 2 to 5 y declined from 1999-2004 to 2011-2014, with larger declines among low-income children. While changes in PYDV contributed to increases in treated caries, particularly for low-income children, additional factors appear to have contributed to decreased untreated caries. For young children, the degree and direction of changes in caries over the last decade varied by outcome measure (e.g., untreated or treated) and family poverty status. Examining the effect of increased dental utilization on changes in untreated and treated caries outcomes can help identify those policies that contribute to changes in these outcomes and highlight the potential role of the different caries assessment criteria used in dental offices versus those in a population-based survey.

Xylitol for the prevention of acute otitis media episodes in children aged 2–4 years: protocol for a pragmatic randomised controlled trial

IntroductionXylitol (or ‘birch sugar’) is a naturally occurring sugar with antibacterial properties that has been used as a natural non-sugar sweetener in chewing gums, confectionery, toothpaste and medicines. In this...

Contemporary evidence on the effectiveness of water fluoridation in the prevention of childhood caries.

Water fluoridation's effectiveness has been reaffirmed by systematic reviews. However, most of the included nonrandomised controlled before and after studies were conducted pre-1975. Opportunity for such studies is limited in a steady state of community fluoridation programmes. As an alternative for evidence to support or refute the effectiveness of water fluoridation, this study used data from a recent national child oral health study to examine associations between lifetime exposure to fluoridated water (%LEFW) and childhood caries. A population-based study of child oral health in Australia was conducted in 2012-2014, using complex sampling and weighting procedures. Parents provided detailed household information and children underwent oral epidemiological examination by trained examiners. Residential history from birth was used to calculate %LEFW. Caries prevalence (dmfs/DMFS>0) and experience (dmfs/DMFS) in both primary (age 5-8) and permanent dentitions (age 9-14) were estimated. Socioeconomic factors that were significantly different by %LEFW were then used as covariates in multivariable log-Poisson regression models for each caries outcome by %LEFW. A total of 24 664 children had complete data. Caries prevalence and experience were higher among 5-8-year-old children with lower %LEFW (46.9%; 4.27 surfaces) than those with 100%LEFW (31.5%; 1.98 surfaces) and for the 9-14-year-old children with lower %LEFW (37.0%; 1.34 surfaces) than those with 100%LEFW (25.0%; 0.67 surfaces). In the multivariable models, the prevalence ratios for primary and permanent caries were significant for the two lower exposure groups against the 100%LEFW group. Similarly, the mean ratios for primary dmfs were significant for all three lower exposure groups and for permanent DMFS were significant for the two lower exposure groups against the 100%LEFW group. Mean ratios for the 0%LEFW compared to the 100%LEFW group were 2.10 (1.83-2.40) for dmfs and 1.82 (1.57-2.10) for DMFS. Analysis of contemporary data representative of the Australian child population found consistent associations between %LEFW and childhood caries, which persisted when socioeconomic differences were adjusted across exposure groups, supporting the continued effectiveness of water fluoridation.

Oral health outcomes: the association of clinical and socio-dental indicators to evaluate dental caries in preschool children.

Dental caries is a public health problem that impacts oral health related to quality of life (OHRQoL). This study aimed to evaluate the outcome of dental caries in children by associating clinical and socio-dental indicators. A cross-sectional study was carried out with 2 to 6-year-old children who attended public day care centers in a city in the Southeast Region of Brazil. After sample calculation, 446 children were randomly selected by eligibility criteria. Two professionals evaluated dental caries using WHO (2013) criteria and classified subjects according to early childhood caries (ECC) severity. Parents/care- givers answered a characterization questionnaire and self-reported socio-dental indicator (B-ECO-HIS). The prevalence of dental caries was 33.7%. The children with high severity of ECC had 5 times higher chance of suffering an impact on OHRQoL. The one way ANOVA test showed that the impact on OHRQoL (ECOHIS scores) was associated with ECC. The outcome dental caries in oral health presented high prevalence as clinical indicator and high impact on OHRQoL as socio dental indicator. Clinical and socio-dental indicators should be evaluated together.

Mutans Streptococci and Dental Caries: A New Statistical Modeling Approach

Survival analyses have been used to overcome some of the limitations encountered with other statistical analyses. Although extended Cox hazard modeling with time-dependent variables has been utilized in several medical studies, it has never been utilized in assessing the complex relationship between mutans streptococci (MS) acquisition (time-dependent covariate) and time to having dental caries (outcome). This study involved secondary analyses of data from a prospective study conducted at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Low socioeconomic status, African-American preschool children from Perry County, AL, USA (n = 95) had dental examinations at age 1 year and annually thereafter until age 6 years by three calibrated dentists. Salivary MS tests were done at ages 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, and 4 years. The patterns of and relationship between initial MS detection (time-dependent covariate) and dental caries experience occurrence were assessed, using extended Cox hazard modeling. The median time without MS acquisition (50% of the children not having positive MS test) was 2 years. Approximately 79% of the children had positive salivary MS tests by the age of 4 years. The median caries experience survival (50% of the children not having dental caries) was 4 years. During the follow-up period, 65 of the children (68.4%) had their initial primary caries experience. Results of the extended Cox hazard modeling showed a significant overall/global relationship between initial caries experience event at any given time during the follow-up period and having a positive salivary MS test at any time during the follow-up period (hazard ratio = 2.25, 95% CI 1.06-4.75). In conclusion, the extended Cox modeling was used for the first time and its results showed a significant global/overall relationship between MS acquisition and dental caries. Further research using causal mediation analysis with survival data is necessary, where the mediator “presence of MS” is treated as a time-dependent variable.

Sweet Taste Perception and Dental Caries in 13- to 15-Year-Olds: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study

Dietary habits and, in particular, the intake frequency of sucrose are of major importance for the development of dental caries. The perception of sweet taste is believed to have an influence on sucrose intake and therefore affects the predisposition to dental caries. The aim was to study the caries experience and sweet taste perception and to further analyze the possible relationship between the 2 tested variables in 13- to 15-year-old children from 3 different geographical areas. A cross-sectional survey comprising 669 children (220 Italian, 224 Mexican, and 225 Saudi Arabian) was conducted. The children were examined in their school setting. A sweet taste perception level was determined by the sweet taste threshold (TT) and sweet taste preference (TP). The sweet test was performed with sucrose solutions varying in concentration from 1.63 to 821.52 g/L. The International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS) and DMFS indices were used to diagnose caries. The highest mean value for TT was found for Italian children followed by Saudi and Mexican. Saudi schoolchildren showed the highest mean values for TP and DMFS, followed by Italian and Mexican. A statistically significant difference for TP, TT, DMFS, and initial caries was found between the 3 countries. A weak yet positive correlation was found between taste perception (TT and TP) versus DMFS and manifest caries in all 3 countries (r = 0.137-0.313). The findings of the present study showed a variation in sweet taste perception between the 3 countries, which may influence the caries outcome of the children in the individual countries.

Association between the eruption of the third molar and caries and periodontitis distal to the second molars in elderly patients

The objective of this study was to verify whether caries and periodontal diseases, when present on the distal surface of the second molars (M2s), are associated with the eruption of the third molars (M3s). In this split-mouth study, we evaluated 70 elderly patients with unilateral maxillary or mandibular M3s who presented to the outpatient clinics of two hospitals. Patients underwent comprehensive oral examinations and radiographical measurements, and we assessed the outcomes of periodontal disease and caries. Periodontal measurements included plaque index, bleeding on probing, and periodontal probing pocket depth (PD). Moreover, caries were assessed through visual–tactile examination and radiography. We performed the χ2 test to determine factors associated with M3 and non-M3 outcomes. Eighty-one unilateral erupted M3s were observed in the study patients. Both the distobuccal region (p<0.0001) and the distolingual region (p=0.006) had a higher PD on the nonextraction side than the extraction side, and the caries rate was significantly higher on the nonextraction side than on the extraction side (p <0.0001 on M2 with caries and p=0.003 on M2 with distal caries). M3 eruption, at the same or different occlusal plane levels of M2, is a risk factor for periodontal diseases and caries in M2s in elderly patients. M3s may continue to negatively impact dental health well into later life.

Host genetics role in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease and caries.

This study aimed to produce the latest summary of the evidence for association of host genetic variants contributing to both periodontal diseases and caries. Two systematic searches of the literature were conducted in Ovid Medline, Embase, LILACS and Cochrane Library for large candidate gene studies (CGS), systematic reviews and genome-wide association studies reporting data on host genetic variants and presence of periodontal disease and caries. A total of 124 studies were included in the review (59 for the periodontitis outcome and 65 for the caries outcome), from an initial search of 15,487 titles. Gene variants associated with periodontitis were categorized based on strength of evidence and then compared with gene variants associated with caries. Several gene variants showed moderate to strong evidence of association with periodontitis, although none of them had also been associated with the caries trait. Despite some potential aetiopathogenic similarities between periodontitis and caries, no genetic variants to date have clearly been associated with both diseases. Further studies or comparisons across studies with large sample size and clear phenotype definition could shed light into possible shared genetic risk factors for caries and periodontitis.

Preventive benefit of access to fluoridated water for young adults.

To analyze the preventive effect of access to fluoridated water on dental caries among young adults. In 1991/92 a cross-section of South Australian children aged 5-17 were recruited. Parents provided information on residential history, socioeconomic status, and behaviors. Children were dentally examined. Across 2006/2011, these participants were traced and recruited to follow-up examination. Similar data were updated. Residential history was used to compute percent lifetime access to fluoridated water (%LAFW). The participants underwent examinations scoring tooth surfaces decayed, missing and filled due to caries (DMFS). Unadjusted and adjusted models were generated using generalized linear modeling to estimate rate ratios (RR). Half of the 1991/92 participants traced could be recruited (n = 1,221) aged 20-35 years. Mean DMFS was 5.57 (95 percent CI: 5.0-6.1). Adjusted RR of DMFS for %LAFW (Birth-2006) 0-75 percent against 100 percent was 1.26 (1.01-1.57). RRs for 0-75 percent against 100 percent of %LAFW (1991-2006) and %LAFW (Birth-2006) were higher than that for %LAFW (Birth-1991). However, these differences were small once the comparisons were adjusted for all covariates. Early life access to fluoridated water was not as strongly associated with caries outcomes than either full lifetime access or access across the more proximal years with the caries outcome of young adults, especially after adjustment for covariates which may become increasingly important across longer spans of the life course.

Mediation analysis for count and zero-inflated count data.

Different conventional and causal approaches have been proposed for mediation analysis to better understand the mechanism of a treatment. Count and zero-inflated count data occur in biomedicine, economics, and social sciences. This paper considers mediation analysis for count and zero-inflated count data under the potential outcome framework with nonlinear models. When there are post-treatment confounders which are independent of, or affected by, the treatment, we first define the direct, indirect, and total effects of our interest and then discuss various conditions under which the effects of interest can be identified. Proofs are provided for the sensitivity analysis proposed in the paper. Simulation studies show that the methods work well. We apply the methods to the Detroit Dental Health Project's Motivational Interviewing DVD trial for the direct and indirect effects of motivational interviewing on count and zero-inflated count dental caries outcomes.

Tooth brushing frequency and risk of new carious lesions.

Data sourcesMedline, Embase, CINHAL and the Cochrane databases.Study selectionTwo reviewers selected studies, and case-control, prospective cohort, retrospective cohort and experimental trials evaluating the effect of toothbrushing frequency on the incidence or increment of new carious lesions were considered.Data extraction and synthesisTwo reviewers undertook data abstraction independently using pre-piloted forms. Study quality was assessed using a quality assessment tool for quantitative studies developed by the Effective Public Health Practice Project (EPHPP). Meta-analysis of caries outcomes was carried out using RefMan and meta-regressions undertaken to assess the influence of sample size, follow-up period, caries diagnosis level and study methodological quality.ResultsThirty-three studies were included of which 13 were considered to be methodologically strong, 14 moderate and six weak. Twenty-five studies contributed to the quantitative analysis. Compared with frequent brushers, self-reported infrequent brushers demonstrated a higher incidence of carious lesions, OR=1.50 (95%CI: 1.34 -1.69). The odds of having carious lesions differed little when subgroup analysis was conducted to compare the incidence between ≥2 times/d vs <2 times/d; OR=1.45; (95%CI; 1.21 - 1.74) and ≥1 time/d vs <1 time/d brushers OR=1.56; (95%CI; 1.37 - 1.78). Brushing <2 times/day significantly caused an increment of carious lesions compared with ≥2/day brushing, standardised mean difference [SMD] =0.34; (95%CI; 0.18 - 0.49). Overall, infrequent brushing was associated with an increment of carious lesions, SMD= 0.28; (95%CI; 0.13 - 0.44). Meta-analysis conducted with the type of dentition as subgroups found the effect of infrequent brushing on incidence and increment of carious lesions was higher in deciduous, OR=1.75; (95%CI; 1.49 - 2.06) than permanent dentition OR=1.39; (95% CI: 1.29 -1.49). Meta-regression indicated that none of the included variables influenced the effect estimate.ConclusionsIndividuals who state that they brush their teeth infrequently are at greater risk for the incidence or increment of new carious lesions than those brushing more frequently. The effect is more pronounced in the deciduous than in the permanent dentition. A few studies indicate that this effect is independent of the presence of fluoride in toothpaste.

Multilevel modeling for dental caries among adolescents in a Brazilian large city

Dental caries is a complex disease, which needs an approach that considers caries influencing factors at different levels and their integration. Multilevel Modeling is a clustered analysis of variables from the individual to the community level. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of social and biological factors grouped into hierarchical levels, in students with caries. A sample of 687 students was evaluated from public and private schools of Curitiba. The parameters evaluated were: individual level, school level and district level. Individual variables had a highly significant association with caries experience, also in the presence of school and district levels. Male sex negatively associated with caries experience. However, the interaction between male sex and no fluoride use was positively associated with caries. Lower socioeconomic status, dental biofilm, and fluorosis were associated with caries. Nevertheless, the interaction between dental biofilm and fluorosis was negatively associated with caries experience. The interaction between no flossing and use of public dental services were also associated with caries outcome. Individual factors were associated with caries experience even with the inclusion of contextual variables in the study population.

Salivary Bacterial Levels and Clinic Attendance Patterns may be Longitudinally Associated with Caries Outcomes in Established Adult Dental Patients

Multicenter study on caries risk assessment in Japanese adult patients. Arino M, Ito A, Fujiki S, Sugiyama S, Mayashi M. J Dent 2015;43(10):1223-8. The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, an independent administrative institution under the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, provided a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (25293387) TYPE OF STUDY/DESIGN: Retrospective cohort (chart review).

Casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate products in caries prevention.

Data sourcesMedline, Embase, PreMedline and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials.Study selectionClinical trials, investigating only clinical caries outcomes on participants of any age comparing the use of Tooth Mousse(®) or Tooth Mousse Plus(®) to a routine oral care regimen for the prevention of dental caries with or without comparison to additional preventive products. Studies that used other formulations of CCP-ACP were excluded. Trials using split-mouth design were also excluded. Only English language papers were considered.Data extraction and synthesisPapers were assessed independently by both authors using the Cochrane Collaboration tool for assessing risk of bias in randomised trials.1 Meta-analysis was not possible due to study heterogeneity.ResultsTwelve studies were available for the final review; three studies on caries prevention were assessed as having low risk of bias. The remaining nine studies, with high risk of bias, reported on treatment or regression of early carious lesions. Two RCTs reported no significant benefits in the use of Tooth Mousse(®) over brushing with a fluoride toothpaste, a third study demonstrated a statistically significant increase in enamel microhardness for the Tooth Mousse(®) group compared to control group but no difference to the group who had fluoride gel treatment. Overall the authors concluded that Tooth Mousse(®) performs no better than fluoride in the prevention of carious lesions.Seven of nine studies evaluated caries lesion severity in orthodontic patients, with four demonstrating statistically significant white spot regression. Two trials in non-orthodontic patients showed statistically significant remineralising potential of Tooth Mousse(®) over fluoride mouthrinse or the regular use of fluoride toothpaste in 14-30 days.ConclusionsThe authors found no evidence to support the use of Tooth Mousse(®) over brushing with a fluoride toothpaste for the prevention of early caries. ToothMousse(®) appeared to benefit regression of white spot lesions associated with orthodontic treatment but the evidence is limited. Effectiveness of Tooth Mousse(®) was not significantly increased by the addition of fluoride in Tooth Mousse Plus(®) and evidence is still lacking to support the use of one over another. High quality randomised clinical trials are needed before these products can be recommended for the prevention and treatment of early carious lesions in the general population.Source of fundingThe publication was funded by Colgate Palmolive, Australia.

Health-related quality of life and prospective caries development.

BackgroundThe present study was conducted to prospectively assess the association between health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and the development of dental caries in adults in northern Sweden. The SF-36 questionnaire was used to estimate HRQoL.MethodsAdults who had (i) participated in a population-based health screening in northern Sweden between 2003 and 2009 and had completed the SF-36 questionnaire, and (ii) received a dental check-up within 1 year (n = 15,615) were included in the study. Of these, 9,838 had a second caries examination 2–7 years after the baseline recording. Information regarding SF-36, lifestyle factors and medical conditions was retrieved by questionnaires, and anthropometric status and blood lipid levels were measured. The association between dental caries (outcome) and SF-36 scores (exposure) with the inclusion of potential confounders was analysed by linear and logistic regression.ResultsCaries increment increased significantly with decreasing scores for both physical and mental dimensions of SF-36 in women, but no association was seen in men. However, lifelong caries experience (DMFS) increased linearly with decreasing physical HRQoL in both men and women; this was also observed for the single dimension of mental HRQoL. The crude odds ratio for being in the highest caries quintile compared to the lowest when having the poorest physical HRQoL compared with the best physical HRQoL was 1.88 (95 % CI: 1.54–2.3). Several factors were identified as potential confounders in the associations between DMFS and SF-36 scores, including education level, smoking, age, medications, higher levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, systolic blood pressure, body mass index and sugar intake. Except for education level and smoking, the effect sizes for the association between gradually decreasing SF-36 scores and increasing caries were generally moderate.ConclusionsIncreased development of caries was associated with low physical HRQoL and some aspects of mental HRQoL. The mechanisms underlying these associations, which are likely confounded by both biological and lifestyle factors, remain to be elucidated. The study implies that, when possible, subjects with poor HRQoL would benefit from caries prevention measures meeting the underlying situation.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12903-016-0166-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Persistent oral health disparity in 12-year-old Hispanics: a cross-sectional study.

BackgroundDental caries is the most prevalent chronic illness worldwide. In the US dental caries has been described as a “silent epidemic”, affecting 58.2 % of 12–15 year-olds, particularly in minority and immigrant groups. Caries is associated with complex yet preventable biological and behavioral factors such as dental plaque and diet, as well as social determinants of health. In developed nations, a higher risk caries has been associated with populations of low socio-economic status (SES), especially in areas with greater income disparity. An island-wide study conducted in Puerto Rico in 1997 revealed a high prevalence of dental caries in 12-year-olds and a significant health disparity between children attending private and public schools. The purpose of the present study was twofold: 1) to estimate caries levels of 12-year-old school Puerto Ricans in 2011; and 2) compare results to data obtained in 1997 to explore any possible change in caries outcomes after a government health insurance (GHI) reform was implemented.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, a probability sample of 133 out of 1,843 schools was selected proportional to enrollment size, and stratified by 1997 GHI regions, school type, and gender. Calibrated examiners conducted oral soft tissue and caries examinations. Dental caries prevalence was estimated. Mean Decayed Missing Filled Tooth/Surface (DMFT/S) indices and mean Significant Caries Index (SiC) were calculated and compared retrospectively to data obtained in 1997.ResultsThe final sample included 1,587 school-enrolled children. About 53 % of participants were female and 77 % attended public schools. Between 1997 and 2011, reductions were observed in caries prevalence (81 to 69 %), mean DMFT scores (3.8 to 2.5), mean DMFS scores (6.5 to 3.9), and mean SiC index (7.3 to 5.6) in both private and public schools, with a more prominent decrease in private schools. Between 1997 and 2011, overall the filled component increased (50 to 67 %), while decayed and missing component decreased (42 to 30 %) and (8 to 3 %), respectively.ConclusionsAmong 12-year-old schoolchildren in Puerto Rico between 1997 and 2011, caries prevalence, extent, and severity decreased as well as the DMFT missing component, while the filled component increased. Dental caries prevalence was high and the health disparity persists between children enrolled in public and private schools after more than a decade of the GHI implementation. The relationship between GHI implementation and other potentially relevant co-factors for caries warrants further research, as does the seemingly entrenched disparity across groups.