A cross-sectional study on the level of severity of dental caries in adults.

Abstract

Introduction: Oral diseases affect some 3.9 billion people worldwide, the most prevalent are dental caries, gingivitis, and periodontitis. Untreated dental caries lesions affect 35% of the population. Objective: To determine the level of severity of dental caries lesions in adults treated at public dental services in the cities of Asunción and Pirayú, Paraguay, in 2017. Material and Methods: Sociodemographic and clinical variables of oral health status were evaluated by means of a cross-sectional study using consecutive sampling. Two dentists were calibrated to perform the oral examination. Caries experience was evaluated using the DMF-T index. The Chi square test and Fisher's exact test were applied, with a confidence level of 95%. Results: 333 subjects with a mean age of 35 years participated in the study, 77.2% were females, and 64.0% did not have access to private health care services. The DMF-T index was 11.43 (SD=6.7); 12.6% obtained a very low level, 35.7% low level, 41.7% had a medium level, and 9.9% had a high level in the DMF-T index. The DMF-T index was significantly higher in females (p=0.001), in the age range of 50 to 59 years (p<0.001), in those who did not have access to private health services (p=0.008), in those who reported a negative self-evaluation of their oral health (p=0.04), in those with a normal molar ratio (p=0.023) and a very severe aesthetic index (p<0.001). Conclusion: The general level of severity of global caries was medium and associated with sociodemographic and clinical variables.

Relationship between the need for orthodontic treatment and DMFT index in adults

“…Nuestro estudio presenta la más elevada necesidad de tratamiento comparado con otros estudios, esto podría deberse a que fue realizado en pacientes adultos, mientras que en los demás estudios fueron incluidos niños y adolescentes en su mayoría. Se debe tener en cuenta que en el adulto, la perdida dentaria pudo haber acrecentado los problemas de maloclusión, pues como se ha reportado en un estudio en adultos paraguayos, donde el número de dientes perdidos y obturados aumentaba conforme lo hacia el grupo de edad 7 .…”

“…En estudios realizados en Paraguay, adolescentes presentaron un 55% de maloclusión 6 , siendo el índice CPO-D en adultos de 11,43 que representa un nivel medio de experiencia de caries. Se encontró que existe asociación estadísticamente significativa entre el nivel de severidad de caries y el nivel de maloclusión 7 .…”

Oral Health Considerations for Adults Aged 18 Years or More Seeking Dental Care in the Past Year: A CDC Oral Health Data Analysis

“…Globally, dental caries remain highly prevalent among adults aged 18 years and above, with 35% of the cases remaining untreated. In the United States, approximately 90% of adults aged 20-64 have experienced dental caries [ 2 - 3 ]. Periodontal disease, including gingivitis and periodontitis, affects a substantial number of adults.…”