Root Caries Prevalence in Black and White North Carolina Adults over Age 65
- 1 March 1992
- journal article
- Published by Wiley in Journal of Public Health Dentistry
- Vol. 52 (2) , 94-101
- https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-7325.1992.tb02250.x
Abstract
The baseline root caries prevalence of 809 dentate black and white home‐dwelling North Carolinians over age 65 was determined along with the collection of a large number of demographic and behavioral, clinical, and microbiological variables in the longitudinal Piedmont over‐age‐65 Dental Study. In comparison to other studies of older adults, the prevalence of decayed‐filled root surfaces (DFRS) was low, fewer than 2.0 DFRS in whites, and significantly fewer than that in blacks (1.3 DFRS). Although tooth loss was a substantial problem, nearly half of the white population and almost two‐thirds of the black participants exhibited no evidence of root caries history. Even though DFRS prevalence was much lower in blacks, their treatment need for decayed root surfaces (ORS) was significantly higher than for white participants. Correlates with DRS within both race groups appeared to be those that reflect lack of access to dental services or neglect of oral health—decayed coronal surfaces, higher rates of tooth extraction, high CPITN scores and worst loss of attachment ≥7 mm, and more than a year since the last dental visit. Some variables were associated significantly with one racial group, but not the other, while others, particularly root surfaces at risk and age, were not associated significantly with DRS. We concluded that although there was considerable neglect of root caries, particularly among blacks, it was not a serious problem among older North Carolinians.Keywords
This publication has 37 references indexed in Scilit:
- Mutans Streptococci, Oral Hygiene, and Caries in an Adult Swedish PopulationJournal of Dental Research, 1990
- Prevalence of root surface caries in 55,65, and 75‐year‐old Swedish individualsCommunity Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology, 1990
- The Clinical Profiles of Individuals With and Without Root Surface Caries1Gerodontology, 1989
- Methodological Issues Relative to the Quantification of Root Surface Caries1Gerodontology, 1989
- Causes of Tooth Loss in a Veteran PopulationJournal of Public Health Dentistry, 1989
- Occurrence of Root Caries in Relation to Dental Health BehaviorJournal of Dental Research, 1988
- Incidence of Coronal and Root Caries in an Older Adult PopulationJournal of Public Health Dentistry, 1988
- A Simplified Diagnostic System for Cultural Detection and Enumeration of Streptococcus mutansJournal of Dental Research, 1987
- Prevalence and interrelationships of root surface caries in Lufa, Papua New GuineaCommunity Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology, 1974
- The Prevalence of Root Surface Caries in Selected PopulationsThe Journal of Periodontology, 1973