Epidemiology of dental caries: when structure and context matter

Frazão, Paulo

doi:10.1590/s1806-83242012000700016

Cited by 51 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Tooth decay or the formation of dental caries is a multifactorial process, that relates to underlying oral microbiology, salivary flow and composition, tooth morphology, the retention time of food in the oral cavity, eating habits, oral hygiene, fluoride exposure, as well as social factors such as family structure and socioeconomic background (Darby & Walsh, 2010; Frazão, 2012; Selwitz, Ismail, & Pitts, 2007; Touger‐Decker & van Loveren, 2003). It is a chronic destructive condition that generally progresses slowly and is caused by demineralization of the enamel, dentine, and cement of the teeth due to the acid bacterial production (Streptococcus mutans et sobrinus) that occurs during fermentation of carbohydrates in plaque bacteria (Hillson, 1996, 2005; Mobley, 2007; Selwitz et al, 2007).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dental markers of poverty: Biocultural deliberations on oral health of the poor in mid‐nineteenth‐century Ireland

Geber

Murphy²

2018

American J Phys Anthropol

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ObjectivesDespite subsisting on a low‐cariogenic diet comprising virtually nothing more than potatoes and dairy products, poor oral health affected the quality of life for the poor of nineteenth‐century Ireland. This study investigates potential biocultural reasons that may explain why this was the case.Material and MethodsA total of 6,860 teeth and 9,889 alveoli from 363 permanent dentitions from the skeletal remains of impoverished adult Irish males and females who died between 1847 and 1851 in the Kilkenny Union Workhouse were examined for evidence of dental caries, periodontal disease and ante‐mortem tooth loss. Caries rates were quantified and assessed by crude prevalence, frequencies, corrected caries rates and a t‐health index, and evaluated by sex and age groups.ResultsA higher rate of caries was present among 18–25‐year‐old males than females, while the opposite relationship was evident for older age groups. The prevalence rates of periodontal disease and ante‐mortem tooth loss increased with age. When assessed by corrected caries rates, tooth decay is observed at a lower rate compared to contemporaneous lower to upper‐class population samples from London.DiscussionDespite being low cariogenic foods, the potato starch and milk lactose of a nineteenth‐century Irish laborer's diet would have lowered oral pH‐values thereby increasing the risk of bacterial fermentation in dental plaque resulting in caries. Nutritional features alone cannot explain the high rates of dental caries observed in the Kilkenny workhouse population sample, however, and lifestyle factors, particularly habitual clay‐pipe smoking, is considered a significant cause of poor oral health.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dental markers of poverty: Biocultural deliberations on oral health of the poor in mid‐nineteenth‐century Ireland

Geber

Murphy²

2018

American J Phys Anthropol

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“…Therefore, non-biological determinants play an important role in dental caries (1,2). In early childhood, the family acts as a mediator between a child and society, providing the necessary care and stimuli for growth and development.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Are Maternal Factors Predictors for Early Childhood Caries? Results from a Cohort in Southern Brazil

et al. 2017

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This study aimed to determine the influence of maternal factors on the early development of dental caries in Brazilian preschoolers. This cross-sectional study was nested in a cohort of adolescent mothers. The current wave was performed when the children were aged 24 to 42 months. The questionnaire-based survey targeted adolescent mothers and included demographic and socioeconomic variables as well as the maternal education level. In addition, clinical examinations were performed on the mothers and their children. Mothers were assessed for decayed, missing and filled teeth in the permanent dentition (DMFT index) and gingival assessment; their children were assessed for decayed, missing and filled teeth in the deciduous dentition (dmft index). Poisson regression with robust variance was used to estimate the prevalence ratio, risk ratio and 95% confidence intervals. This data was also used to identify the maternal risk factors associated with the outcomes (prevalence and severity of childhood caries). A total 538 mother-child dyads were evaluated; the prevalence of early childhood caries was 15.1% and maternal caries was 74.4%. After the adjustment, the children that exhibited a greater incidence of dental caries were from mothers of low socioeconomic status, or from those presenting decayed teeth and higher rates of gingival bleeding. The results of this study suggest that the oral health of mothers is a potentially important risk factor for the development of early childhood dental caries. Public health planners should consider this information when planning interventions in order to prevent the occurrence of early dental caries.

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“…Since 1938, the DMF index has become a relevant tool in monitoring of distribution trends concerning dental caries; applied by the WHO in their assessment of oral health, reflecting the intensity or frequency of dental caries (3). Caries prevalence in the world has decreased in developed countries due to improved organization of dental health care, available fluoride products, improved oral hygiene and higher awareness concerning caries occurrence (2,4). Western and Northern European countries have recorded a decrease in caries, but in the countries of Eastern and Central Europe caries has remained a public health problem (5,6).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Od 1938. godine KEP indeks postaje relevantan u praćenju distribucijskih trendova karijesa kojima se SZO koristi u svojoj procjeni oralnoga zdravlja, a pokazuje intenzitet, odnosno učestalost karijesa (3). Prevalencija karijesa u svijetu bilježi pad u razvijenim zemljama zbog bolje organizacije dentalne zdravstvene zaštite, dostupnosti fluoridnih preparata, poboljšanja oralne higijene i bolje svijesti o nastanku karijesa (2,4). Zapadne i sjeverne europske zemlje bilježe trend smanjenja karijesa, a u državama istočne i srednje Europe ostaje i dalje javnozdravstveni problem (5,6).…”

Section: Introductionunclassified