Periapical and endodontic status among 65-year-old Oslo-citizens

My Tien Diep; Lene Hystad Hove; Dag Ørstavik; Rasa Skudutyte-Rysstad; Anne Thea Tveit Sødal; Pia Titterud Sunde

doi:10.1186/s12903-022-02406-9

Periapical and endodontic status among 65-year-old Oslo-citizens

BMC Oral Health. 2022 Sep 1;22(1):371. doi: 10.1186/s12903-022-02406-9.

Authors

My Tien Diep¹, Lene Hystad Hove², Dag Ørstavik³, Rasa Skudutyte-Rysstad², Anne Thea Tveit Sødal², Pia Titterud Sunde³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Cariology and Gerodontology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Oslo, Blindern, P.O. Box 1109, N-0317, Oslo, Norway. m.t.diep@odont.uio.no.
² Department of Cariology and Gerodontology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Oslo, Blindern, P.O. Box 1109, N-0317, Oslo, Norway.
³ Department of Endodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.

Abstract

Aim: This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the prevalence of apical periodontitis (AP) and root-filled teeth in a 65-year-old population in Oslo, Norway, and to investigate associations of pathosis and endodontic treatment with selected individual risk indicators and technical quality of root fillings.

Material and methods: A random sample of 450 65-year-olds in Oslo answered a questionnaire and underwent a clinical and radiological examination (52% men and 48% women). Periapical radiographs were taken of all root-filled teeth and of teeth with apical radiolucency, and periapical status was evaluated using the Periapical Index. Apex-to-filling distance and homogeneity were assessed for all root fillings. Analyses on individual level and tooth level were performed. The outcome variables were 'non-root-filled tooth with AP' ('untreated AP'), 'root-filled tooth', and 'root-filled tooth with AP'. The explanatory variables were gender, education, dental attendance pattern, smoking, remaining teeth (n), tooth group, and root filling quality. Chi-square test and logistic regression analyses were used to assess the associations between outcome variables and explanatory variables. The level of significance was set to p < 0.05.

Results: The mean number of remaining teeth was 26 (SD: 4). AP was present in 45% of the individuals. Sixteen percent of the individuals had untreated AP and 38% had at least one root-filled tooth with AP. Sixty-six percent of the individuals had one or more root-filled teeth. Untreated AP was significantly associated with a decreasing number of remaining teeth and smoking. All the outcome variables were significantly more prevalent in molars compared with premolars and anterior teeth. Thirty-five percent of the root-filled teeth had AP, and AP was more prevalent in teeth with too short apex-to-filling distance (53%) or unsatisfactory homogeneity (46%).

Conclusions: The remaining number of teeth was high, and AP and root-filled teeth were prevalent in the present young-elderly population. A notable amount of untreated AP was observed, especially in smokers. The findings in the present study indicate a substantial need for dental care associated with endodontic conditions in the future elderly.

Keywords: Aged; Apical periodontitis; Endodontics; Epidemiology.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Aged
Chi-Square Distribution
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Humans
Male
Periapical Periodontitis* / diagnostic imaging
Periapical Periodontitis* / epidemiology
Prevalence
Root Canal Obturation
Root Canal Therapy
Tooth, Nonvital* / epidemiology