Caries experience, treatment needs and treatment supplied among an adult Israeli population

Information on coronal and root caries in an Israeli adult population including treatment needs has never been conducted. A sample of 2,931 adults ranging in age from 20 to 65 were selected for this longitudinal survey. The sample included both city and kibbutzim dwellers. All examinations were performed by one experienced epidemiologist utilizing the method of Radike for coronal caries. A method outlined by the National Institutes of Health was utilized for scoring of root surface recession and caries. Results indicate a 6.94 decayed and filled teeth (DF-T) mean score for the coronal caries experience and a 2.48 missing teeth (M-T) score. The total decayed and filled surfaces (DF-S) score for the examined population was 11.91. Root DF-S was found to be 1.10 among males and 0.99 among females with a total mean of 1.04. Premolars were found to have more crowns than other teeth, while molars had the highest missing score (1.53). DF-S score of 6.78 was indicated for molars, in addition to a high missing surfaces (M-S) value of 7.63 for molars. Main obstacles to dental care are lack of knowledge and financial barriers. These findings recognize an immediate need for public educational programs and regular professional care in order to increase public awareness of their dental status, encourage improved primary prevention, and seek secondary and tertiary care.