The Dental Aesthetic Index and Its Association with Dental Caries, Dental Plaque and Socio-Demographic Variables in Schoolchildren Aged 12 and 15 Years

Paula Fernández-Riveiro, Nerea Obregón-Rodríguez, María Piñeiro-Lamas, Almudena Rodríguez-Fernández, Ernesto Smyth-Chamosa and María Mercedes Suárez-Cunqueiro
Additional contact information
Paula Fernández-Riveiro: Department of Psychiatry, Radiology, Public Health, Nursing and Medicine, Medicine and Dentistry School, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Nerea Obregón-Rodríguez: Department of Surgery and Medical Surgical Specialties, Medicine and Dentistry School, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
María Piñeiro-Lamas: Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health, CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
Almudena Rodríguez-Fernández: Department of Psychiatry, Radiology, Public Health, Nursing and Medicine, Medicine and Dentistry School, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Ernesto Smyth-Chamosa: Department of Psychiatry, Radiology, Public Health, Nursing and Medicine, Medicine and Dentistry School, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
María Mercedes Suárez-Cunqueiro: Department of Surgery and Medical Surgical Specialties, Medicine and Dentistry School, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 18, 1-13

Abstract: The Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI) was determined in 12- and 15-year-old schoolchildren to ascertain the prevalence of malocclusion and to assess its association with dental caries experience, dental plaque accumulation, and socio-demographic variables. We performed a cross-sectional study with a stratified two-stage sampling design. An oral health survey and oral examination were conducted, and socio-demographic data were recorded. The sample comprised 1453 schoolchildren aged 12 (868) and 15 (585). These two samples were analyzed separately because statistically significant differences were found: the 12-year-old age group displayed a higher frequency of schoolchildren who attended state-run public schools ( p = 0.004) and belonged to a lower social class ( p = 0.001); the 15-year-old age group registered higher levels of caries ( p = 0.001) and lower levels of dental plaque ( p < 0.001). The malocclusion was 9.5% higher ( p = 0.001), and the global mean DAI score was likewise higher among the 12-year-olds ( p < 0.001). The multivariate regression analysis not only showed that caries and dental plaque were the variables that were the most strongly associated with malocclusion, but that caries (OR = 1.5) and dental plaque (OR > 2) were also risk factors for malocclusion in both groups. In conclusion, this study revealed a higher prevalence of malocclusion and dental plaque at age 12. A higher risk of caries and dental plaque was found to be related to the presence of malocclusion in both age groups.

Keywords: dental aesthetic index; schoolchildren; dental caries; dental plaque; prevention; oral health; paediatric dentistry (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/18/9741/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/18/9741/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:18:p:9741-:d:636493

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().