title: Risk indicators for the presence and extent of root caries among caries-active adults enrolled in the Xylitol for Adult Caries Trial (X-ACT).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This paper uses baseline data from a randomized clinical trial to evaluate cross-sectional indicators of root caries in caries-active adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adults (21-80 years) having at least 12 erupted teeth and between one and ten caries lesions were enrolled. Participants (n = 437) received caries exams by trained, calibrated examiners and responded to baseline demographic and medical-dental questionnaires. We examined associations between baseline characteristics and (1) the presence of any root caries using Mantel-Haenszel hypothesis tests and odds ratio (OR) estimators and (2) the number of root surfaces with caries among study participants with exposed root surfaces (n = 349) using Mantel-Haenszel mean score tests and Mann-Whitney estimators.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adjusting for study site and age, male gender [OR, 1.72; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.08, 2.78], white race (OR, 2.39; 95% CI, 1.43, 3.98), recent dental visit (OR, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.07, 3.66), poor self-described oral health (OR, 2.65; 95% CI, 1.10, 6.39), and recent professional fluoride treatment (OR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.06, 3.25) were significantly associated with increased odds to have any root caries, and study participants with exposed root surfaces characterized by male gender [Mann-Whitney probability estimate (MW) = 0.57; 95% CI, 0.51, 0.63), white race (MW, 0.61; 0.55, 0.68), recent dental visit (MW, 0.58; 0.50, 0.67), poor self-described oral health (MW, 0.61; 0.53, 0.69), and flossing at least once per day (MW, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.51, 0.62) were significantly more likely to have a greater number of root surfaces with caries than a randomly selected study participant from their respective complementary subgroups (female gender, non-white, etc.).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings may help identify individuals at higher root caries risk.
authors.affiliation: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Dentistry, 433 Brauer Hall, CB#7450, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7450, USA. rittera@dentistry.unc.edu
authors.forename: André V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Ritter
authors.forename: John S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Preisser
authors.forename: Yunro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: James D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Bader
authors.forename: Daniel A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Shugars
authors.forename: Bennett T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Amaechi
authors.forename: Sonia K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Makhija
authors.forename: Kimberly A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Funkhouser
authors.forename: William M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Vollmer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000407:Alabama / Q000453:epidemiology; D002327:Cariostatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003729:Dental Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003742:Dental Devices, Home Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005459:Fluorides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009657:North Carolina / Q000453:epidemiology; D009909:Oral Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010919:Placebos; D012307:Risk Factors; D017213:Root Caries / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D013549:Sweetening Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014099:Toothbrushing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014993:Xylitol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002327:Cariostatic Agents; D010919:Placebos; D013549:Sweetening Agents; D005459:Fluorides; D014993:Xylitol