Caries predicting factors in adult patients participating in a dental health program

The main purpose was to study various factors with respect to predicting dental caries. From a population of 442 employees at a shipyard, 68 patients with an average age of 56 yr were selected for the present investigation. They were examined once a year during a 2-yr period with respect to: 1) number of new caries lesions, and 2) a series of caries related factors, i.e., DMFS, oral hygiene status, dietary habits, numbers of Streptococcus mutans and lactobacilli in saliva, and secretion rate and buffer effect of saliva. The median values of all studied variables as found at the baseline examination were more favorable in the caries inactive (n = 30) than in the caries active group (n = 38), but only DMFS (P less than 0.001), dietary score (P less than 0.05), and number of S. mutans in saliva (P less than 0.05) differed significantly between the two groups. Number of S. mutans showed the highest sensitivity value, followed by dietary score. The main conclusion from this study is, however, that in spite of a relationship between caries activity and unfavorable values, especially for DMFS, dietary score, and number of S. mutans in saliva, it would have been difficult to predict the caries active patients on an individual level.