Dental caries status and risk indicators of dental caries among middle-aged adults in Shanghai, China

Background/purposeBecause of the dramatic changes in socioeconomic background and expansion of the oral healthcare system in Shanghai, China, it is of great importance to update the dental caries status of adults and to investigate the relationships among socioeconomic status, utilization of dental services, and dental caries experience. The objective of this study was to investigate the dental caries status and its associated factors among middle-aged adults in Shanghai, China.Materials and methodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among adults aged between 35 and 44 years. An equal-sized stratified multistage random sampling method was used to select the participants. Dental caries status was assessed using the decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) and decayed or filled (DF) root indices. Information on oral health behaviors and attitude was collected using self-administered questionnaires. Negative binomial regression was performed to investigate the risk indicators that may be associated with the dental caries experience among middle-aged adults.ResultsThe mean DMFT and DF-root scores of the surveyed adults were 5.3 and 0.7, respectively. Missing teeth and untreated decayed teeth contributed to approximately 60% and 25% of the DMFT score, respectively. The prevalence rate of dental caries experience and the prevalence of DF roots was 91.4% and 30.3%, respectively. The negative binomial regression model showed that adult females (P = 0.001), and those who had visited the dentist (P < 0.001) had significantly higher DMFT scores.ConclusionDental caries status among middle-aged adults in Shanghai shows an increasing trend. Sex and dental visiting pattern were significant risk indicators for dental caries status.