Oral Health among Adult Residents in Vilnius, Lithuania

Abstract

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) oral conditions may be determined by social, biological, behavioral, and psychosocial factors. The study assessed oral health status and its determinants associated with oral health conditions among adult residents in Vilnius, Lithuania. A total of 453 of 35–74-year-olds participated (response rate 63%). A self-reported questionnaire was administered. Dental caries experience (D3MFS score), periodontal probing depth (PPD), andnumber of missing teeth were assessed clinically. Data were analyzed using χ2 test, independent samples t-test, and multivariable linear regression. The mean (sd) of D3MFS scores was 67.3 (33.5), the mean (sd) number of teeth with PPD 4+ mm was 5.9 (5.3), prevalence of periodontitis was 33%, the mean (sd) number of missing teeth was 6.9 (6.8), and prevalence of total edentulism was 3.8%. Medication use was associated with all oral health conditions, while age was associated with caries experience, and missing teeth. Sugar-containing diet was associated with caries experience, and missing teeth, and smoking with caries experience and periodontal status. Systemic diseases were associated with periodontal status, while behavioral determinants, last dental visit, and use of fluoridated toothpaste were associated with missing teeth. Oral health status among adult Vilnius residents was poor. Oral conditions were associated with both biological and behavioral determinants. Oral health promotion should focus on modifying behavioral determinants.

Free Sugar Intake and Periodontal Diseases: A Systematic Review

“…The descriptive characteristics of the included 13 studies are presented in Table 1 . The included studies were conducted in various countries: five in Asia [ 16 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 ], three in America [ 17 , 30 , 31 ], two in the Middle East [ 32 , 33 ], two in Europe [ 34 , 35 ], and one in Africa [ 36 ]. Most studies had a cross-sectional design [ 16 , 17 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 ], and only one study had a cohort design [ 29 ].…”

“…The number of participants in each study ranged from 169 to 10,022. The included studies covered almost all age groups; five studies targeted schoolchildren or adolescents [ 26 , 28 , 32 , 33 , 36 ] and eight targeted adults [ 16 , 17 , 27 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 34 , 35 ], while Yoshihara et al only targeted older adults aged 70 years [ 29 ]. For the eligibility of participants, one study only targeted pregnant women [ 30 ].…”

“…In contrast, studies targeting adults employed PPD, CAL, and their combination with BOP, or the community probing index (CPI) with a cut-off of 3 points. Most of the studies employed a cut-off of PPD ≥4 mm, which is equivalent to a CPI of ≥3 points [ 16 , 27 , 30 , 31 , 35 ]; however, one study employed a cut-off of PPD ≥3 mm with the combination of BOP [ 17 ]. We could not find any clear difference between gingivitis- and periodontitis-related clinical measures in the association between frequent free sugar intake and the presence of periodontal diseases.…”

“…For the measurement of free sugar intake, five studies only evaluated the intake of SSB [ 16 , 26 , 27 , 30 , 32 ], while one study only evaluated the intake of free-sugar-added food [ 29 ]. The frequency of the intake of any sugary food or drink as a combined variable was employed in five studies [ 17 , 31 , 33 , 34 , 35 ], and two studies simultaneously evaluated the intake of sugary food and drinks in the same model [ 28 , 36 ]. Most of the studies evaluated the frequency of sugary food and/or beverages in a certain period (e.g., day, week, or month); however, one study evaluated the amount of added sugar intake using the food frequency questionnaire and estimated daily free sugar intake as a percentage of total energy intake [ 31 ].…”

“…We initially illustrated the hypothesized causal diagram ( Figure 1 ) and identified sociodemographic and socioeconomic factors, and health behaviors as confounders, as well as diabetes and obesity as mediators based on previous studies [ 1 , 4 , 11 , 12 , 21 , 22 , 23 ]. However, six studies included an insufficient number of confounders [ 29 , 30 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 ]. These studies failed to eliminate confounding factors in the association.…”