| Abstract: | Objective: This study aimed to investigate the association between number of natural teeth and prevalence of root caries. Design: A cross‐sectional design was adopted. A stratified multi‐stage purposive sampling method was used to select a wide range of elderly people from all social classes, educational levels and sexes. Data was collected through interviews and clinical examinations. Setting: Urban area in Chiang Mai‐Thailand. Participants: 549 elderly dentate aged 60‐74 years. Main Outcome Measures: Teeth with decay and filled roots (DF‐T). Results: The prevalence of root caries was 18.2% with a mean DF‐T of 0.58 (S.D. 2.02). Results of multiple logistic regression showed that number of teeth, DMF‐S scores, sex, and socio economic factors were statistically significantly associated with root caries (P<0.05). Adjusted odds ratios demonstrated a 14% increase in the chance of having root caries when the number of teeth increased one unit. Similarly, a 3% increase was observed for each unit increase in the DMF‐S scores (p<0.001). Being male, having more than four years of education and earning more than 1500 baht/month increased the chances of root caries by 76%, 139% and 85% respectively (p<0.001). Recession and age were not statistically significantly associated with root caries. Conclusions: Having more teeth, higher DMF‐S scores, earning more than 1500 baht/month, having more than 4 years of education and being male increased the likelihood of having root caries. |
