Prevalence of Dental Caries Among Costa Rican Male Students Aged 12-22 Years Using ICDAS-II

The evidence to characterize oral health during adolescence in Costa Rica is limited. This lack of adequate research makes it difficult to develop appropriate health policies for this subgroup of the population. This is particularly important because adolescence is the period during which good health habits must take root in order to foster good physical and cognitive development. This study aims to determine the prevalence of tooth loss, bleeding on probing and malocclusion in Costa Rican male adolescents at the “Colegio Técnico Profesional San Agustín” (St. Augustine’s Technical High School) located in the province of Cartago. Data was collected from 428 male adolescents aged 12-22 years in a cross-sectional study during 2019. Prevalence of tooth loss was calculated as the number of individuals having lost at least one tooth. The average number of teeth lost by individuals was also recorded. The bleeding on probing was an indicator used as a proxy parameter for monitoring periodontal health where the presence of bleeding on probing and calculus was also recorded. Malocclusion was measured using the Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI). The results showed that the prevalence of tooth loss, bleeding on probing and malocclusion was of 19%, 70.0% and 98%, respectively. It was also found that 81% of the participants had all their teeth, 11% had lost 1 tooth, 8% had lost more than one tooth of which 0.5% had lost more than 5 teeth. Considering a general classification of periodontal problems based on bleeding on probing and presence of calculus, the prevalence of periodontal problems increases to 92%. Regarding the DAI, the category identifying a very severe malocclusion was the most prevalent in the sample (88%). It is alarming the high prevalence of tooth loss, bleeding on probing, and malocclusions in a sample of Costa Rican male adolescents, compared to similar studies in other countries. The overarching conclusion of this study is that oral diseases represent an important health problem that urgently need proper public health action.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Prevalence of Tooth Loss, Bleeding on Probing and Malocclusion as Oral Disease Indicators in Costa Rican Male Adolescents: a Cross Sectional Study

Barahona-Cubillo

Rojas-Brenes

Sánchez-Achío

et al. 2022

“…In a Costa Rican study of 201 foster-care children and adolescents (20), between the ages of 2 and 17 years, dental caries prevalence was 96.35%. Another local study in 428 young male students aged 12 to 22, showed a prevalence of 83% (21). Moreover, the prevalence of caries was 41.3% in a study carried out in a small group of students at the Special Education Center "Fernando Centeno Güell" (22).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Dental Caries in 12-Year-Old Schoolchildren who Participate in a Preventive and Restorative Dentistry Program

Chan

Fernández

2021

Self Cite

Since 2013, the Faculty of Dentistry of the University of Costa Rica has provided a preventive and restorative oral health program at Carmen Lyra Public School. The first generation of students that received dental care from this project were examined in 2019 for caries status. A total of 62 twelve-year-old schoolchildren were examined (31 boys and 31 girls). First, all teeth surfaces were cleaned with a brush and then rinsed. Subsequently, examination was performed in each person by a calibrated examiner using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS). Prevalence of dental caries was 59.7%. ICDAS code 2 was the most prevalent (68.8%), followed by 1 (19.3%), 5 (4.5%), 3 (3.5%), 6 (2.5%), and 4 (1.4%). Regarding number of carious surfaces, the highest prevalence was observed in the occlusal surfaces (77.3%), followed by the vestibular (13.9%), mesial (4.2%), palatal/lingual (4,1%) and distal (0.5%). Of these carious surfaces, 7% were caries associated with restorations and were present only on the occlusal surfaces. Boys had more cavities than girls (54.1% compared to 45.9%), however, this difference was not significant. Regarding the condition of restorations in teeth, 92 dental restorations (resin or amalgam) were found in the population studied and were well adjusted. Most of these restorations were found on the occlusal surfaces (82.6%), followed by vestibular surfaces (8.7%,) palatal/lingual (5.4%) surfaces, mesial surfaces (3.3%), and no restorations were detected on the distal surfaces. Sealants were identified in 11.3% schoolchildren; 98% were identified on the occlusal surfaces and the other 2% were found on the palatal/lingual surfaces. DMFT Index was 1.6±0.71. The prevalence of dental caries in this sample was low compared to other studies in twelve-year-old schoolchildren in Costa Rica. This may suggest that the oral health program had a positive impact in the studied population.

“…The study included 394 male adolescents aged between 12 and 22 years from San Agustín Professional Technical College, also known as "Ciudad de los Niños" (Children's City), located in Agua Caliente de Cartago, Costa Rica. This institution attracts students from diverse social backgrounds across the country, with participants coming from all provinces of Costa Rica (16).…”

Section: Samplementioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the Determinants of Oral Health-Related Quality of Life Among Male Costa Rican Students: Findings from a Cross-Sectional Study

Reyes-Umaña,

Rojas-Bogante,

Stradi-Granados

et al. 2024

To evaluate the association between socioeconomic, psychosocial, and lifestyle factors with Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) in a sample of adolescent males from Colegio Técnico San Agustín de Cartago - Ciudad de los Niños (St. Augustine’s Technical High School), located in the Cartago Province of Costa Rica. Data for this study were obtained from a descriptive, cross-sectional study conducted in 2019. The sample consisted of 394 adolescent males aged between 12 and 22 years. OHRQoL was assessed using the validated Spanish version of the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-49). The following variables were considered: age, parental education, having a remunerated job, Health-Related Quality of Life (measured via the SF-36 questionnaire), self-esteem (Rosenberg scale), perceived stress (PSS-14), depression (CES-D), physical activity, history of dropping out of school, flossing and tooth-brushing habits, eating snacks between meals, medication intake for illness, having received oral health care instructions, history of dental visits due to pain, frequency of dental visits, history of childhood tooth decay, and access to dental health care during childhood. Qualitative variables were analyzed using the Student's t-test, while Pearson correlation was used for quantitative variables. Multivariable analysis was performed using linear regression. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05 using STATA 14®. Enhanced general health-related quality of life (p<0.01) and early childhood dental attendance (p<0.01) were identified as factors associated with improved OHRQoL. Conversely, having had dental visits for pain (p<0.01), elevated depression symptomatology (p<0.01), and a history of childhood dental cavities (p<0.01) were all associated with worse OHRQoL. This study suggests a link between general and oral health. Experiences during childhood appear to set a standard for adolescence. Lastly, it is crucial to note the significant impact of mental health on the perception of oral health.