The Dental Aesthetic Index and Its Association with Dental Caries, Dental Plaque and Socio-Demographic Variables in Schoolchildren Aged 12 and 15 Years

• Published in: International journal of environmental research and public health 2021-09, Vol.18 (18), p.9741
• Main Authors: Fernández-Riveiro, Paula, Obregón-Rodríguez, Nerea, Piñeiro-Lamas, María, Rodríguez-Fernández, Almudena, Smyth-Chamosa, Ernesto, Suárez-Cunqueiro, María Mercedes
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Age groups; Calibration; Children; Classrooms; Demographic variables; Demographics; Dental caries; Dental occlusion; Dental plaque; Dentists; Gender; Oral hygiene; Orthodontics; Regression analysis; Risk analysis; Risk factors; Sampling designs; Schools; Sociodemographics; Statistical analysis; Statistical methods; Teeth; Variables
• ISSN: 1660-4601; 1661-7827; 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18189741

The Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI) was determined in 12- and 15-year-old schoolchildren to ascertain the prevalence of malocclusion and to assess its association with dental caries experience, dental plaque accumulation, and socio-demographic variables. We performed a cross-sectional study with a stratified two-stage sampling design. An oral health survey and oral examination were conducted, and socio-demographic data were recorded. The sample comprised 1453 schoolchildren aged 12 (868) and 15 (585). These two samples were analyzed separately because statistically significant differences were found: the 12-year-old age group displayed a higher frequency of schoolchildren who attended state-run public schools (p = 0.004) and belonged to a lower social class (p = 0.001); the 15-year-old age group registered higher levels of caries (p = 0.001) and lower levels of dental plaque (p < 0.001). The malocclusion was 9.5% higher (p = 0.001), and the global mean DAI score was likewise higher among the 12-year-olds (p < 0.001). The multivariate regression analysis not only showed that caries and dental plaque were the variables that were the most strongly associated with malocclusion, but that caries (OR = 1.5) and dental plaque (OR > 2) were also risk factors for malocclusion in both groups. In conclusion, this study revealed a higher prevalence of malocclusion and dental plaque at age 12. A higher risk of caries and dental plaque was found to be related to the presence of malocclusion in both age groups.