Abstract
It is necessary to first clearly define the cases with the risk of occurrence of caries, and then to develop a method of predicting the occurrence of caries, in order to take the necessary preventive measures against the occurrence of caries in the elderly.
The present study was performed to determine whether the occurrence of caries could be predicted in the elderly based on the results of caries activity tests of saliva and oral examination, which have been routinely used in clinical cases. A total of 62 patients, who visited the geriatric dental clinic of the Nippon Dental University Hospital and showed tooth root exposure, were enrolled in the study after they gave the informed consent. They were aged 61-82 (mean 71.4 years); 31 patients were male, and the other 31 were female.
The relationship between the baseline test results, obtained from 6 salivary tests, including 3 microbiological tests, and oral examination, and the occurrence of caries on the exposed root surface during one year was investigated, and the following results were obtained:
1) At the initial examination, caries was present in the crown in 42.0% of the patients and on the exposed root surface in 50.0%. At one year after the baseline tests, caries had occurred in the crown and on the exposed root surface in 19.4% and 32.3% of cares respectively.
2) The occurrence of caries on the exposed root surface was significantly higher in Streptococci mutans (SM)-positive and/or occult blood-positive patients, compared with those negative for these 2 parameters.
3) The rate of saliva secretion was significantly lower in patients with caries occurring on the exposed root surface, compared with those without such caries.
4) The accuracy of prediction of the occurrence of caries on the exposed root surface was improved by the use of a combination of SM, occult blood, and saliva secretion rate.
5) Of patients with caries occurring on the exposed root surface at one year after baseline tests, 67.0% had already had caries at the initial examination.
