Epidemiology of dental caries in permanent dentition: evidence from a population-based survey in Egypt

Background: In recognition of the risk factors common between oral diseases and various chronic conditions and the intersection between oral health and some sustainable development goals, the current cross-sectional study was designed to quantify the burden of dental caries and identify factors associated with its occurrence in permanent teeth. Methods: Using data from Egypt's population-based survey (2013-2014), two individual-level outcomes; past caries experience (DMFT > 0) and presence of untreated carious lesions (DT > 0) were assessed using the WHO basic methods for oral health surveys. Information on potential explanatory variables including sociodemographic characteristics, exposure to fluoridated water, dental attendance, and dental anxiety was gathered using a structured questionnaire. Stratified multistage cluster random sampling was used to recruit survey participants. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify significant potential risk factors for caries in the permanent dentition of Egyptians. Findings: A total of 9,457 participants were included of which 70.3% had at least one untreated carious lesion. After adjusting for all covariates, analphabetic Egyptians were found to have significantly higher odds of caries experience in permanent dentition DMFT > 0 (OR 1.54, 95% CI [1.20-1.98]), DT > 0 (OR 1.62, 95% CI [1.32-2.00]). Males, however, had significantly lower caries risk DMFT > 0 (OR 0.75, 95% CI [0.67-0.85]), DT > 0 (OR 0.81, 95% CI [0.73-0.89]) when compared to females. Regarding age, mean DMFT scores were significantly lower in age groups (6-15 years) (OR 0.03, 95% CI [0.014; 0.082]), (16- 20 years) (OR 0.09, 95% CI [0.037; 0.23]), and (21-35 years) (OR 0.22, 95% CI [0.09; 0.53]) than among people >= 60 years. Conclusion: Addressing individual-level caries risk factors should be complemented by addressing upstream factors to reduce burden of untreated dental caries among Egyptians.