A multilevel analysis model for dental caries determinants in independently-living elderly

To evaluate the prevalence of untreated caries and its association with biological, individual, and environmental variables in independently-living elderly people. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 72 elderly (≥60 years) patients of a university dental clinic in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Sociodemographic data, systemic diseases, medications, and free sugar intake were collected. Visible plaque, Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth (DMFT), and Decayed and Filled Root (DFR) indexes were assessed through clinical examination. Unstimulated saliva was collected to determine salivary flow, pH, and buffering capacity. Descriptive analysis and multilevel logistic regression analysis were performed following a dental caries theoretical model (p <0.05, 95% CI). Results: The mean DMFT and DFR were 24.44 (SD=4.59) and 3.21 (SD=2.93), respectively. The prevalence of untreated caries was 61.11%. In the adjusted multilevel regression model involving 1639 teeth, untreated dental caries was significantly associated with the presence of biofilm (OR = 1.84; 95% CI: 1.24­2.74), salivary buffering capacity (OR = 0.87; 95% CI: 0.77­0.99) and per capita income (OR = 0.06; 95% CI: 0.004­0.74). Conclusion: The experience of dental caries was widespread among independently-living elderly patients, and its variability was best explained by the presence of biofilm, reduced salivary buffering capacity, and low per capita income. A comprehensive assessment is needed of the biological, individual, and environmental factors related to the presence of dental caries in independently-living elderly people

Cárie dentária e lesões cervicais não cariosas em idosos independentes: características individuais, ambientais e salivares / Dental caries and noncarious cervical lesions in independent elderly: individual, environmental, and salivary characteristics

O envelhecimento populacional característico das mudanças demográficas atuais vem sendo acompanhado por maior preservação dentária. Pessoas idosas possuem particularidades que as tornam mais susceptíveis ao desenvolvimento de alterações bucais como cárie dentária e lesões cervicais não cariosas (LCNC). Com a idade avançada, a prevalência da cárie dentária aumenta, e as LCNC tornam-se mais comuns e graves. O objetivo desse estudo foi avaliar a frequência de cárie dentária e de LCNC em idosos independentes, além de investigar associações entre proteínas salivares e a presença de cárie, e entre LCNC e fatores oclusais em dois artigos distintos. Neste estudo transversal, parte dos dados foi coletada usando entrevista estruturada. A experiência de cárie e de LCNC foi determinada pelos índices de Dentes Cariados, Perdidos e Obturados (CPO-D), Raízes Cariadas e Obturadas (CO- R) e Índice de Desgaste Dentário (TWI), coletados em exame clínico. Ao total, foram avaliados 127 indivíduos, com idade entre 60 e 84 anos. A média do CPO-D foi 23,86 e frequência de cárie dentária foi 65,4%. Para LCNC, a frequência de lesões com profundidade superior a 1mm foi 65,4%. Modelos 3D foram obtidos a partir de escaneamento intraoral para análise oclusal, morfologia e morfometria das LCNC, em 53 idosos, totalizando 1245 dentes com frequência absoluta de 352 (28,27%) dentes com LCNC. Lesões arredondadas possuíam maior altura, enquanto lesões anguladas apresentaram maior profundidade. Dentes com LCNC apresentaram maior proporção de facetas de desgaste, contatos oclusais intensos e contatos de interferência oclusal. Saliva em repouso foi coletada durante 5 minutos para quantificação do fluxo, pH, capacidade de tamponamento e proteínas salivares por meio de análise proteômica realizada em 80 participantes. Os indivíduos foram subdivididos em um grupo sem cárie ativa (47,5%) e outros dois grupos com lesões de cárie divididos pela mediana de dentes acometidos: £2 dentes (31,3%) e >2 dentes com cárie ativa (21,3%). Na análise proteômica, foram quantificadas 665 proteínas, envolvidas em processos de imunidade inata, modulação enzimática, atividade dos íons cálcio e adesão celular. Dessas, 68 proteínas demonstraram diferenças significativas de abundância entre os grupos. O conjunto de dados proteômicos foi correlacionado com índice de placa dentária visível, experiência de cárie radicular, fluxo salivar, capacidade tampão, pH e porcentagem de ingestão de açúcar. Com as correlações, 87 candidatos a biomarcadores foram identificados e 19 repetiram a significância da análise anterior. Dessa forma, os resultados deste estudo indicam potenciais biomarcadores e características individualizadas do paciente idoso que podem contribuir para o direcionamento do manejo clínico desse estrato populacional.

Population aging, characteristic of current demographic changes, has been accompanied by greater dental preservation. Older individuals possess particularities that make them more susceptible to the development of oral conditions such as dental caries and noncarious cervical lesions (NCCL). With advanced age, the prevalence of dental caries increases, and NCCL becomes more common and severe. The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of dental caries and NCCL in independent older individuals, as well as to investigate associations between salivary proteins and the presence of caries, and between NCCL and occlusal factors in two distinct articles. In this cross-sectional study, part of the data was collected using a structured interview. Dental caries and NCCL experience were determined by the Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth (DMFT) index, Decayed and Filled Roots (DFR) index, and Tooth Wear Index (TWI), collected through a clinical examination. In total, 127 individuals aged between 60 and 84 years were evaluated. The mean DMFT was 23.86, and the frequency of dental caries was 65.4%. For NCCL, the frequency of lesions with a depth greater than 1mm was 65.4%. 3D models were obtained from intraoral scanning for occlusal analysis, morphology, and morphometry of NCCL, in 53 elderly individuals, totaling 1245 teeth with a frequency of 352 (28.27%) teeth with NCCL. Saucer lesions had greater height, while wedge-shaped lesions showed greater depth. Teeth with NCCL presented a higher proportion of wear facets, intense occlusal contacts, and occlusal interference contacts. Unstimulated saliva was collected for 5 minutes to quantify flow, pH, buffering capacity, and salivary proteins through proteomic analysis performed on 80 participants. Individuals were subdivided into a group without active caries (47.5%) and two other groups with caries lesions divided by the median of affected teeth: ≤2 teeth (31.3%) and >2 teeth with active caries (21.3%). In the proteomic analysis, 665 proteins involved in innate immunity, enzymatic modulation, calcium ion activity, and cell adhesion processes were quantified. Of these, 68 proteins showed significant differences in abundance between the groups. The proteomic dataset was correlated with visible dental plaque index, radicular caries experience, salivary flow, buffering capacity, pH, and percentage of sugar intake. Through these correlations, 87 potential biomarker candidates were identified, and 19 replicated the significance of the previous analysis. Thus, the results of this study indicate potential biomarkers and individualized characteristics of elderly patients that may contribute to directing the clinical management of this population stratum.