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Oral Health Assessment by Lay Personnel for Older Adults
Published on: February 2, 2020
Third molar caries experience in middle-aged and older Americans: a prevalence study
Elda L Fisher1, Kevin L Moss, Steven Offenbacher
1Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Summary
Third molar caries experience is common in older adults and linked to decay in other teeth. This finding highlights the importance of monitoring all teeth, not just third molars, for dental caries.
Area of Science:
- Dental Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Geriatric Dentistry
Background:
- Dental caries, particularly in third molars, can impact oral health in aging populations.
- Understanding the prevalence and associations of third molar caries is crucial for targeted prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the occurrence of third molar caries in middle-aged and older adults.
- To investigate the relationship between third molar caries and caries in anterior teeth.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of data from 6,550 participants (aged 52-74) in the Dental Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study.
- Clinical examination for coronal caries (decayed surfaces and filled surfaces) in third molars and anterior teeth.
- Multivariate modeling to adjust for covariates like ethnicity, gender, education, and smoking status.
Main Results:
- Third molar caries experience was found in 77% of subjects, significantly associated with anterior tooth caries and white race.
- Caries limited to third molars occurred in 1% of subjects; 1% were caries-free.
- Lower education and income were linked to higher rates of decayed surfaces (DS), while higher education and income correlated with more filled surfaces (FS).
Conclusions:
- Third molar coronal caries experience is significantly associated with caries in teeth more anterior in the mouth among middle-aged and older adults.
- These findings underscore the interconnectedness of caries experience across different tooth types in older populations.
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