Identification of caries-active individuals in longitudinal data a methodological study using a national registry

Area of Science:

• Dental epidemiology
• Longitudinal data analysis

Background:

• Caries activity varies significantly among adults.
• Identifying individuals with high caries risk is crucial for effective prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify caries-active adults using a trajectory model.
• To compare longitudinal caries data from Swedish (SKaPa) and Dunedin cohorts.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal data from 30- and 40-year-olds in SKaPa (10-year follow-up) were analyzed.
• A trajectory model classified subjects into high (15%), moderate (45%), and low (40%) caries development groups.
• Data were compared with published longitudinal birth-cohort data from the Dunedin study.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in mean decayed, missing, and filled surfaces (DMFS) index were observed across the three trajectories.
• The pattern of caries development mirrored findings from the Dunedin cohort.
• The high caries trajectory group showed a significantly greater mean DMFS increase over 10 years.

Conclusions:

• A three-trajectory model effectively presents caries experience over time.
• This approach can identify individuals with varying disease activity levels.
• Identifying high caries trajectory individuals facilitates targeted prevention research.