Prevalence and progression of approximal caries lesions among Danish adolescents. 2.5-year radiographic study. Part 2

This part 2 study aimed to determine the influence of predictor variables on caries progression on approximal surfaces detected at radiographs at 90 participants aged 15 and 17 on the sample described in part 1. The predictor variables were defined as District, Gender, Caries risk, Tooth type, Tooth surface, Jaw, Side, and Radiographical scorings at the 15-year-old registrations. Caries risk was categorized as Low (D3MFS=0, n=47), Moderate (D3MFS=1-2, n=24), or High (D3MFS>2, n=19) based on each of the 15-year-old D3MFS on their full dentitions. Among the 2,160 approximal surfaces, 57.8% had no radiolucency (score 0), 31.7% caries in enamel (scores 1-2), 7.5% caries <1/3 in dentine (score 3), 0.8% caries >1/3 in dentine (scores 4-5), and 2.2% were restored (score 6) at the 15-year-old registrations. The Caries risk and Radiographical scores were statistically different between the three districts (p-values<0.001). Bivariate Chi-square tests showed significant differences of caries progression regarding Gender, District, Caries risk, Tooth type, Tooth surface, and Radiographic scores at the 15-year-old registrations (p-values<0.024). A total of 689 (31.9%)
surfaces showed progression of which 77 surfaces were restored during the 2.5 years. Further, 340 (15.7%) new lesions/restorations were recorded at the 17-year-old registrations. Mixed Model Generalized Estimating Equation analyses on surface level, using children as cluster variable, revealed that out of all predictor variables District (1/2/3 with OR=1:0.5:0.7,p<0.001), Caries risk (Low/Moderate/High with OR=1:2.4:2.1, p<0.001); Tooth type (Premolars/Molars with OR=1:1.4, p=0.002), Tooth surface (Mesial/Distal with OR=1:1.4, p=0.003), and Radiographical scores (0/1-2/3/4-5 with OR=1:1.5:0.8:4.0, p<0.001) influenced caries progression on approximal surfaces. Approximal lesions are still a challenge even with a well-established dental care system in Denmark.
Further investigations are needed to explore additional preventive and therapeutical treatment approaches.
The authors received no specific funding for this work