Summary. Objectives. To explore a possible relationship between the caries experience and pattern in the primary dentition at 5 years of age and the permanent dentition at 10 years of age. Further, to examine the possibility of predicting children in a caries-risk group at 5 years verified at 10 years of age. Materials and methods. A sample of 186 children (90 males) were clinically examined as 5-year-olds and re-examined as 10-year-olds by calibrated dentists. A five-graded diagnostic system including enamel caries was used. Bitewing radiographs were taken. A true risk group of children at 10 years were defined as those with at least one dentin or filled lesion on the mesial surface of 6-year molars, and/or on incisors, and/or total DMFS (decayed, missing, and filled surfaces) more than 1 SD above the mean. The prediction was measured in terms of OR (odds ratio), sensitivity/specificity, and receiver operating characteristic curves. Results. Statistically significant correlations ( r = 0·5) were found between the caries experience in the two dentitions as well as between the primary second molars at baseline and the permanent teeth at 10 years. 'Primary second molars' and 'all primary molars' were the most powerful predictors for allocation into the risk group (24% of the sample). The highest achieved sum of sensitivity and specificity, 148%, was attained at a cut-off point above two carious surfaces in enamel and/or dentin in primary second molars. Conclusions. Statistically significant relationship in disease between the dentitions was found. More than two surfaces with caries experience in primary second molars are suggested as a clinically useful predictor at 5 years of age for being at high risk at age 10.

The aim of this study was to explore the prevalence and possible explanatory factors of dental avoidance due to dental anxiety among 12 to 18 year olds treated within the Norwegian Public Dental Service. A total of 754 20-yr-olds completed a questionnaire and three psychometric scales, the Dental Fear Scale (DFS), the Dental Beliefs Survey (DBS) and the Geer Fear Scale (GFS), and gave their consent to collect data from their dental records. A total of 169 subjects (22.4%) had high dental anxiety (DFS>59 or DBS>47 at age 20 yr), and 124 subjects (16.4%) had high frequency of missed/cancelled appointments (20% or more) during the period 12-18 yr. Forty-seven subjects (6.2%) fulfilling both of the above criteria constituted the dental avoidance group. An analysis using a stepwise regression model indicated that having had more than one painful or unpleasant treatment experience increased the risk of being included in the avoidance group by a factor of 10.9. Equally, adolescents who were not attending school (working or without specified occupation) increased the risk by a factor of 6.9, having a high caries experience by a factor of 5.0, and not having their dental treatment completed at the age of 18 yr by a factor of 4.4.

The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of dental anxiety at the time when adolescents are leaving the public dental service, and to explore the relationship at this stage between dental anxiety and some possible etiologic factors. The sample consisted of 571 18-yr-olds in high school who completed a questionnaire and three psychometric scales, the Dental Fear Scale (DFS), the Dental Beliefs Survey (DBS) and the Geer Fear Scale (GFS), in the classroom. The relationship between dental anxiety (DFS and DBS) and a total of nine possible etiologic factors was explored by the use of stepwise regression analyses, and risk estimates (odds ratio) were calculated in cross-tables. There were significant sex differences for DFS and for GFS, but not for DBS. Nineteen percent of the total sample were classified as having high dental anxiety (DFS > 59). Previous experiences of pain, phobic anxiety indexed by GFS and pain at the last dental visit entered into the stepwise regression models of both dental anxiety indices explaining 50% of the variance of DFS, but only 18% of DBS. Students who reported more than one previous experience of pain were 9.9 times more likely to report high dental anxiety as recorded by DFS than the rest of the group. The corresponding risk factor for DBS was 3.4.

No abstract

No abstract