Prevalence of caries and malocclusion in an indigenous population in Chiapas, Mexico

To assess the prevalence of caries and malocclusion in Mayan Mexican adolescents, 14-20 years of age, living in Chiapas, Mexico.

This was a cross-sectional, population-based, quantitative, epidemiological study. Sites were chosen to capture subjects representative of the state's Mayan population. A total of 354 subjects were recruited. Caries experience was quantified, via visual inspection, using the Decayed, Missing and Filled Surface (DMFS) index. Malocclusion was quantified using the Index of Complexity, Outcome and Need (ICON).

Our data showed that 99% of the population had caries experience, with a median DMFS score of 8. Of the 99% with caries experience, over half had caries affecting more than five tooth surfaces. Thirty-seven per cent of the students had unmet orthodontic treatment need, and 46.46% presented a Class II, and 39.09% a Class III, anterior-posterior relationship.

Less than 1% of the population had any exposure to orthodontics, demonstrating the lack of access to care. Likewise, only 1% of the population was found to have no caries experience, exhibiting a large unmet treatment need. The median DMFS score of 8 was also high in comparison with the median DMFS in the USA of 6. Our data suggest a correlation between the lack of access to care and high prevalence of caries and malocclusion in Mexican Mayans who inhabit Chiapas, Mexico.