Caries increment in Bosnian women associated with caries risk factors according to the Cariogram during pregnancy. A four-year longitudinal study

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ABSTRACT

Aim

The aim of this study was to determine dental caries increment in women after four years associated with caries risk factors according to the Cariogram during pregnancy.

Material and methods

Study design: The study population consisted of 96 pregnant women between 20 and 42 years of age at the start of the study. After four years, 80 women (83.33% recall rate) were re-examined by the baseline examiner using the same procedure employed at baseline. Caries prevalence was registered according to the WHO criteria and presented by the Decayed Missing and Filled Teeth (DMFT) index. Saliva tests were carried out according to instructions of the manufacturer. Nine factors/variables were entered into the Cariogram to obtain an individual caries risk profile. The chance of avoiding caries was scored into the five Cariogram risk categories.

Results

Study participants at higher-risk categories developed more new caries lesions than those at lower risk of caries. Participants with the highest DMFT index according to the Cariogram had the highest caries-related risk factors at baseline, i.e. they had the highest risk for the onset of caries and the highest caries increment after four years.

Conclusion

The results suggest that the dental caries increment in women after four years is significantly associated with caries risk factors according to the Cariogram during pregnancy.

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