Oral Health and Dental Management

Abstract

An Investigation into the Prevalence of Dental Caries and its Treatment Among the Adult Population With Low Socio-Economic Status in Baku, Azerbaijan

Agha Ch. Pashayev, Fuad U. Mammadov, Sevda T. Huseinova

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of dental caries and its treatment among the adult population of Baku, Azerbaijan, with low socio-economic status (SES). Methods: Home-based and workplace dental examinations were performed on 681 adults (of whom 338 were male and 343 were female) from the age groups 15-19 years, 20-29 years, 30-39 years, 40-49 years, 50-59 years, 60 years and older, all of whom resided in Baku city. The subjects were workers and unemployed people with low incomes. The World Health Organization 1997 criteria were used for diagnosis and recording of Decayed, Missing, or Filled Teeth (DMFT) index. Dental caries was diagnosed at the caries into dentine at the (D3) threshold, using a visual method with mouth mirrors, dental probes and daylight illumination. Results: Results demonstrated an overall average caries prevalence of 96.7%. The lowest prevalence (86.1%) was in the 15-19 years group. Prevalence increased with age. The mean DMFT for all ages was 9.12, of which the M element was 6.81 and the F element only 0.35, resulting in a very low Care Index of 3.8%. There was a mean of 0.41 teeth per subject, which manifested symptoms of either pulpitis or periapical infection and a mean of 0.72 teeth per subject present as retained roots. In general, the subjects exhibited very low motivation for undergoing dental treatment and a poor level of hygiene. Conclusion: The study demonstrated a very high prevalence of caries among Baku