[Prevalence of root caries in a healthy adult population]

An epidemiological study involving 963 subjects aged 25 to 64 years revealed at least one carious and/or filled root surface in 40.2% of all females and in 42.7% of all males. The number of teeth and tooth surfaces affected by root caries increases continuously with age. In relation to the total number of teeth, males display a higher prevalence of root caries than females, with the exception of men aged between 55 and 64. High-risk susceptibility shows no correlation with age, although there are more surfaces at risk in males. Independent of the sex, root caries prevalence is highest in the molars and premolars of the mandible and in the canine of the maxilla; lower incisors are the teeth with the least caries involvement. Labial root surfaces are most frequently affected by caries in the mandible; the prevalence rate is twice as high in males than females. The lingual surfaces of maxillary molars of females and the proximal and buccal surfaces of incisors of males are the most frequently affected tooth surfaces.