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Relationship between daily habits, Streptococcus mutans, and caries among schoolboys
Mohamed ElSalhy1, Sisko Honkala, Eva Söderling
1Faculty of Dentistry, Kuwait University, Kuwait; Institute of Dentistry, University of Turku, Finland.
Journal of Dentistry
|August 17, 2013
Summary
Daily habits like brushing and sugar intake significantly impact dental caries. The International Caries Detection and Assessment System Caries Index (ICDAS CI) shows strong associations with traditional caries indices and daily habits.
Area of Science:
- Dental Public Health
- Cariology
- Pediatric Dentistry
Background:
- Dental caries remains a significant global health issue, particularly in children.
- Traditional indices like DMF (Decayed, Missing, Filled teeth) provide valuable but limited information on caries severity and progression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between daily oral hygiene habits, Streptococcus mutans levels, and dental caries severity using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System Caries Index (ICDAS CI).
- To compare the efficacy of ICDAS CI with traditional DMF indices in assessing caries in children.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 122 children who underwent dental examinations and interviews.
- Saliva and plaque samples were analyzed for Streptococcus mutans using the Dentocult SM(®) Strip Mutans test.
- ICDAS CI was calculated by averaging all ICDAS caries scores across all tooth surfaces.
Main Results:
- ICDAS CI demonstrated strong correlations with DMFT/dmft (ρ=0.72), DMFS/dmfs (ρ=0.72), and the total number of carious teeth (DT/dt) (ρ=0.77).
- Higher Streptococcus mutans levels in plaque were significantly associated with higher ICDAS CI and DT/dt.
- Children brushing teeth once daily or more had significantly lower ICDAS CI (p<0.01), while frequent consumption of sweets/soft drinks was linked to higher ICDAS CI (p<0.05).
Conclusions:
- ICDAS CI offers a more comprehensive assessment of caries, capturing lesion stage, severity, and progression compared to DMF indices.
- Daily habits, including brushing frequency and dietary choices, play a crucial role in caries development and can be effectively monitored using ICDAS CI.
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