title: Dental caries status and oral health behavior among civilian pilots.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was aimed at investigating the caries status of Chinese civilian pilots and the relationship between caries and oral health behaviors, including sugar intake, smoking, alcohol consumption, tooth brushing, and dental check-up attendance.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional investigation enrolled pilots from Shenzhen Airline. A questionnaire was used to collect general information and oral health behaviors. The Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth (DMFT) Index, International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS) II, caries prevalence, and rate of missing teeth were recorded via oral examination. Rank correlation was used to reveal the correlation between caries and oral health behavior.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All of the pilots were men ages 21-58 yr (mean, 31.48 ± 7.20). In the caries group (CG), the frequency of tooth brushing and flossing was a little higher; more subjects had already given up smoking; more subjects had higher alcohol consumption; the sugar intake index (SII) was a little bit higher; and the last dental attendance time (LDAT) was shorter than that in the noncaries group (NCG). A total of 211 pilots (37.95%) had caries and 85 (15.29%) had missing teeth. The average DMFT was 2.19, while the mean ICDAS was 0.72. The frequency of sugary beverage consumption was negatively correlated with caries (r = -0.088), while a positive relationship was found between LDAT and caries (r = 0.094).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Chinese civilian pilots have relatively good oral hygiene behavior and dental health. A relationship was found between sugary beverage consumption/LDAT and caries.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China.
authors.forename: Xi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Liwei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Feifei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Haiyang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000337:Aerospace Medicine; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D019422:Dietary Sucrose; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009909:Oral Health; D015995:Prevalence; D012907:Smoking; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016388:Tooth Loss / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D019422:Dietary Sucrose