Prevalence and intraoral distribution of coronal and root caries in middle-aged and older adults

Caries Res. 1992;26(6):459-65. doi: 10.1159/000261487.

Abstract

This work describes the prevalence and intraoral distribution of coronal and root caries in 326 predominantly white, educated, middle-aged and older adults. Study participants were recruited from Tufts Geriatric Outreach Program, Nutritional Status Study (NSS), and the Forsyth Root Caries Study. Eighty-five percent of participants reported visiting their dentist in the last year. The median number of teeth was 21 in the 65+ age-group, and 40% of participants had coronal caries and 33% had root carious lesions. The mean coronal and root caries (DFS) was higher and the proportion of decayed surfaces to all decayed and filled surfaces (%D/DFS) was lower than in other comparable studies. A comparative analysis of intraoral distribution of coronal and root caries and their relation with age is discussed.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Age Factors
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Boston / epidemiology
  • DMF Index
  • Dental Care / statistics & numerical data
  • Dental Caries / epidemiology*
  • Dental Caries / pathology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Jaw, Edentulous, Partially / pathology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Prevalence
  • Recurrence
  • Root Caries / epidemiology*
  • Root Caries / pathology
  • Tooth / pathology