Objective: To investigate the associations between oral sugar clearance and the prevalence of dental decay.
Material and methods: A total of 92 (44 F, 48 M) 71-year-old subjects in Goteborg, Sweden were consecutively chosen from a representative cohort study. The subjects were examined for: 1) caries-related status, 2) oral function, 3) salivary conditions, 4) cariogenic micro-organisms, and 5) oral sugar clearance. A factor analysis was used to investigate the possible existence of latent variables within these five areas. The latent variables from the factor analyses were used to study the associations between clearance and caries in multivariate regression models.
Results: Only one latent variable relating to oral sugar clearance was found. In the regression model with the latent variable related to oral sugar clearance as a dependent variable and gender plus the latent variables related to oral function and salivary conditions as an independent variable, there were associations with gender and some latent variables reflecting oral function and one reflecting glucose in saliva (R(2)=0.20/0.17). Three latent variables relating to caries-related status were found and these were associated with the number of teeth, the percentage of filled tooth surfaces, and the percentage of decayed tooth surfaces (DS%). In the regression analysis using the latent variable associated with DS% as a dependent variable, this variable was related to the latent variables of oral sugar clearance and to some reflecting oral function, as well as glucose in saliva (R(2)=0.28).
Conclusions: Oral sugar clearance appears to be independently associated with the prevalence of dental caries in the elderly.