Dental News - Dental caries experience continues to decline

Dental Tribune International

Fri. 12. April 2019

save

COLOGNE, Germany: A recent study has assessed trends in dental caries experience in permanent dentition in Germany. The findings show that dental caries in permanent dentition has consistently decreased across all age groups since the late 1990s, mainly owing to the decreasing number of missing teeth. While the number of filled and decayed teeth also decreased in the younger population, it increased in seniors and is expected to continue to increase, the researchers stated.

In the study, researchers analysed components of caries experience, such as the number of decayed, missing or filled teeth, in Germany between 1997 and 2014. The data was obtained from the Deutsche Mundgesundheitsstudie [German oral health study], a repeated cross-sectional oral epidemiological survey that began in 1989 and shows dental caries experience in 12-year-olds, 35- to 44-year-olds and 65- to 74-year-olds over three time periods: 1997, 2005 and 2014.

The data revealed that in 1997 12-year-olds had a mean caries experience of 1.7 affected teeth. This experience dramatically decreased to 0.5 teeth in 2014, while for 2030, an experience of 0.2 teeth is projected. In 35- to 44-year-olds, a decrease of 4.9 teeth was recorded between 1997 (16.1) and 2014 (11.2). This decline is expected to continue until 2030 and result in 7.7 teeth in that year. Seniors aged 65–74 have also had a reduced caries experience, from 23.6 teeth in 1997 to 17.7 teeth in 2014. This decrease is expected to continue until 2030 down to 14.9 teeth.

The cumulative caries experience has decreased from 1.1 billion teeth in 2000 to 867 million teeth in 2015 and is expected to drop to 740 million teeth in 2030 for the entire German population. Similarly, a continuous decrease to 407 million is expected in filled teeth and to 286 million in missing teeth. In contrast, the number of decayed teeth is expected to increase noticeably to 46 million.

“Combined with the demographic changes in Germany, population-level dental treatment needs have been and will be highly dynamic. The often-cited caries decline is focused on specific components of caries experience, mainly missing teeth, and is more pronounced in younger than older age groups,” said co-author of the study Dr Rainer A. Jordan, Scientific Director of the Institute of German Dentists. “Temporal trends in dental caries experience are complex. Health services and workforce planning should address the drastically altered population-level treatment needs,” he added. “With the concentration of caries experience in the growing group of elderly patients, restorative and prosthetic treatment needs will be concentrated in this age group. Our findings are a call to action for policymakers and researchers to address the consequences of these dynamics in individual and population health.”

The study, titled “Trends in caries experience in the permanent dentition in Germany 1997–2014, and projection to 2030: Morbidity shifts in an aging society,” was published online on 2 April 2019 in Scientific Reports.

Tags:

To post a reply please login or register

Dental caries prevalence continues to affect Australian adults, study says

ADELAIDE, Australia: A recent study, led by the Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health (ARCPOH) at the University of Adelaide, aimed to ...

Largest study to date on dental caries experience in Norwegian adult population

OSLO, Norway: Seeking to fill the gap on available epidemiological data on the present oral health situation in Norway, researchers have recently assessed ...

COVID-19 softened decline in US dental opioid prescriptions

ANN ABOR, Mich., US: Dental opioid prescriptions are associated with an increased risk of opioid overuse, addiction and overdose, and at least 39 US states...

Australian government continues to support child dental care scheme

CANBERRA, Australia: The Australian government has recently announced it will be committing A$1 billion to ensure the sustainability of the Child Dental ...

Low-cost tooth sensitivity liquid found to combat dental caries

NEW YORK, US: Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) has clearance by the US Food and Drug Administration for treatment of tooth sensitivity, and there is strong ...

THRIVELIVE offers the ultimate dental experience

LAS VEGAS, US: Celebrating its triumphant third year, THRIVELIVE returns to the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas from 2 to 4 May, promising an exciting ...

NHS dental activity targets continue to attract controversy

LONDON, UK: Since being implemented on 1 January, the UK government’s new system of NHS targets has drawn its fair share of detractors from both inside ...

Research links processed starch to dental caries

NEWCASTLE, UK: Given the abundance of dietary recommendations that can be accessed these days, understanding what we should and should not eat can be a ...

Expodental Meeting 2018 continues to grow

RIMINI, Italy: Regarded as one of the most relevant international trade shows in the dental industry in Italy, Expodental Meeting will be taking place in ...

Human immune system contributes to dental caries and damage to dental fillings

TORONTO, Canada: The question as to why the human immune system partly works against the body, for example in autoimmune diseases, is still not sufficiently...

Education

Live webinar
Fri. 26 April 2024
12:00 pm EST (New York)