New Method of Avoiding Underestimation of Caries Incidence and Its Association with Possible Risk Factors in Japanese University Students: A Prospective Cohort Study

Daisuke Ekuni, Naoki Toyama, Yoshiaki Iwasaki and Manabu Morita
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Daisuke Ekuni: Department of Preventive Dentistry, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 2-5-1, Shikata-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
Naoki Toyama: Department of Preventive Dentistry, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 2-5-1, Shikata-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
Yoshiaki Iwasaki: Health Service Center, Okayama University, 2-1-1, Tsushima-naka, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8530, Japan
Manabu Morita: Department of Preventive Dentistry, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 2-5-1, Shikata-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8558, Japan

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 4, 1-12

Abstract: The objective of this three-year prospective cohort study was to investigate the association between a new definition of an increase in dental caries and risk factors in Japanese young adults. Data of Okayama University students who volunteered to undergo oral examinations and answer questionnaires in 2015 and 2018 were analyzed. The status of filled teeth and the status of occlusal/proximal surfaces of filled or decayed teeth were recorded. An increase in dental caries was defined as a change in the status of filled teeth and/or an increase in dental caries of occlusal and proximal surfaces. A total of 393 participants (18.2 ± 0.8 years) were analyzed. First and second molars showed a high prevalence of dental caries. Of the participants, 144 (36.6%) showed an increase in dental caries. In all the participants and in the females, the decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) score and history of orthodontic treatment at baseline were significantly associated with an increase in dental caries ( p < 0.05) in logistic regression analyses. In the males, the DMFT score and the daily frequency of snacking (≥2) at baseline were significantly associated with an increase in dental caries ( p = 0.04). The DMFT score and history of orthodontic treatment at baseline can be risk factors for an increase in dental caries using the new definition in young adults.

Keywords: dental caries; risk factors; disease progression; cohort studies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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