The prevalence of clinically undetected occlusal dentine caries in Scottish adolescents.
During the third examination of a 3-year anti-caries dentifrice study, bitewing radiographs were read to detect occlusal, as well as approximal caries lesions in 2623 subjects aged 14-15 years. These analyses showed that 1.4% of 2107 upper molars and 7.2% of 2288 lower molars (P less than 0.001), previously scored as clinically 'sound', were carious at a radiographic Grade '3' score (dentinal involvement), and 0.2% had radiographic pulpal lesions. However, for teeth which had been deemed as having a 'suspicion' of caries clinically, but which a 0.6 mm blunted probe would not enter, 29.1% of lower molars had definite radiographic evidence of dentinal caries as compared to only 7.6% of upper molars (P less than 0.001), and a further 0.5% exhibited pulpal extension. In addition, 23.9% of lower premolars also showed dentinal involvement in this group. Overall, 12.1% of lower molars and 3.1% of upper molars showed definite radiographic evidence of occlusal caries in the absence of a firm clinical indication. Thus, the use of bitewing radiographs would appear to be a most helpful adjunct to clinical caries diagnosis, not only of approximal lesions, but also for the detection of early occlusal caries, in these days of generally available topical fluoride.
Oral Biology Group, University of Glasgow Dental School.
S L
SL
Creanor
J I
JI
Russell
D M
DM
Strang
K W
KW
Stephen
C K
CK
Burchell
D000293:Adolescent; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D015588:Observer Variation; D015995:Prevalence; D016300:Radiography, Bitewing; D012606:Scotland / Q000453:epidemiology