Prevalence and progression pattern of approximal caries lesions on Danish adolescents. A radiographic study. Part 1.

Aim: To investigate the prevalence and progression pattern on caries on posterior approximal surfaces detected on bitewings(BW) on 15-yr-olds in 2018 and when they became 17-yr-olds in 2021. Material and methods: The sample was from a city (Odense) where the caries experience among 15-yr-olds was on the national level. To be included BW should be available in 2018 and in 2021; the participants lived in 3 different districts, with different caries experience (high,moderate,low). A total of 30 15-yr-olds, 15 of each sex, were randomly allocated to the study from each district. Caries on BW’s was scored, by two calibrated examiners together, from the mesial surfaces on 2.permanent molar teeth - distally on the first premolar teeth as follows: 0)no radiolucency; 1)radiolucency in the outer ½ of enamel; 2)inner ½ of the enamel; 3)outer 1/3-; 4)middle 1/3-; 5)inner 1/3 of the dentine and 8) restored. Results: 2160 surfaces were assessed. Intraexaminar reproducibility was 0.87. At age 15, 933 surfaces (43.2%) had radiographically lesions/restorations. The mean was 10.4(7.0). In 2021 number of lesions increased to 1151 surfaces (53.3%), the mean increased to 12.8(6.7),p=0.02. Score 1 and 2 were observed on 322 and 385 surfaces in the 15-yr-olds, while on 267 and 475 surfaces in 2021. Similar figures for dentinal lesions scored 3-6 were 162, 11, 4 and 0 for the 15-yr-olds versus 257, 25, 2 and 0 in 2021. 46 (2.1%) approximal surfaces were restored among 15-yr-olds increasing to 123 restored surfaces (5.7%) in 2021,p=0.001. The mesial surfaces on 1. permanent molar teeth was that surface most often judged carious in both jaws. Conclusion: The prevalence of radiographic detected lesions were high in this sample, which actually had a low DMFS.

The authors received no specific funding for this work.