title: Prevalence and polarization of dental caries among young, healthy adults: Cross-sectional epidemiological study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Oral health of young people has improved in the industrialized countries during past decades. However, stagnation of this progress has been reported recently. The main aim of this epidemiological study was to investigate the level of cariological treatment history and need (DMFT, DT) and polarization of dental caries among a healthy young male population born in the early 1990s.
  
  
  METHODS
  Oral health of 13,564 men and 255 women born in 1990, 1991 or 1992 was screened based on the WHO criteria for epidemiological studies by 15 calibrated dentists in 20 garrisons (of a total 24) of the Finnish Defence Forces in January and July 2011. Mean DMFT and DT (SD) values and their distribution were calculated excluding wisdom teeth. Polarization was investigated using the Lorentz analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean DMFT, DT and FT values were DMFT = 4.1 (SD = 4.2), DT = 1.4 (SD = 2.5) and FT = 2.7 (SD = 2.9). Almost half of the men (45.1%) and one third of the women (37.3%) had at least one tooth needing restorative treatment. About 30% of the conscripts had 90% of all caries lesions and ∼ 10% of the conscripts had half of all lesions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Oral health of young males has not improved since the previous study among conscripts 15 years ago. Polarization of dental caries still exists. About half of the young male population still has manifested dental caries. Oral health promotion must not be neglected, even in countries with low caries prevalence.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Dentistry, University of Oulu , Finland.
authors.forename: Tarja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tanner
authors.forename: Antti
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kämppi
authors.forename: Jari
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Päkkilä
authors.forename: Pertti
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Patinen
authors.forename: Jukka
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rosberg
authors.forename: Kaisa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Karjalainen
authors.forename: Marjo-Riitta
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Järvelin
authors.forename: Leo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tjäderhane
authors.forename: Vuokko
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Anttonen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D055815:Young Adult