Dental caries prevalence in patients treated by dentistry students at a university dental clinic

Abstract

Introduction. Dental caries is a serious problem affecting numerous populations around the world. During the last decade, there was a significant increase of its prevalence in many countries. Hence, the dental epidemiological status requires some further analysis. Aim. This study was designed to assess the prevalence of dental caries among adults of various age and gender groups treated by dental students of English Division at the Chair and Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics of the Medical University of Lublin. Material and methods. The authors collected and analyzed the dental history of patients who had been treated at the university dental clinic in Lublin throughout 2013 and 2014. Results and Conclusions. The mean DMFT index of examined group of patients increases with age and it tends to be higher in women than men. Class I dental caries according to Black’s classification was the most prevalent, followed by class II, class III, class V and class IV. Caries tends to affect molars and premolars most commonly. In addition, these teeth were most likely to be extracted and restored.