IADR Abstract Archives
Associations Between Dietary Caries Risk Assessment Questions and Planned Restorations
Objectives: Past research has shown a link between sugar consumption and caries, and sugar intake is a key element in caries risk assessment (CRA). However, our previous research found only weak relationships between sugar intake and completed dental caries treatments. This study’s purpose was to assess relationships between dietary questions and planned restorative treatments.
Methods: Deidentified data from the University of Iowa electronic dental records (Axium) were used for this study. Specifically, data were obtained on patients who were 18 years or older and completed their initial CRA during 2018-2019. For these patients, specific restorative procedure codes were collected to identify patients who had planned caries treatments 6 months before or after their initial CRA. Whether each patient had any planned caries restorative treatments, and the number of such planned restorations were gathered. Bivariate and logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify factors related to having planned caries treatments.
Results: There were 6,218 individuals included in this study, with slightly more females (54%) than males, and the mean age was 51 years. Dietary variables including eating more than 3 snacks per day, having unstructured meals, consuming sugar-sweetened beverages, and drinking sugar-sweetened beverages for more than 30 minutes were found to be significantly related to planned caries treatment (p <0.01). Multivariate models, controlling for age, sex, and insurance status, also showed dietary factors to be significantly related to planned caries treatment.
Conclusions: In contrast to our previous study of completed treatments, our analysis found dietary factors are strongly related to caries development. Findings suggest that sugar-related questions are valuable in CRA, and that planned treatments may be a better proxy measure for caries in a dental school population.
Methods: Deidentified data from the University of Iowa electronic dental records (Axium) were used for this study. Specifically, data were obtained on patients who were 18 years or older and completed their initial CRA during 2018-2019. For these patients, specific restorative procedure codes were collected to identify patients who had planned caries treatments 6 months before or after their initial CRA. Whether each patient had any planned caries restorative treatments, and the number of such planned restorations were gathered. Bivariate and logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify factors related to having planned caries treatments.
Results: There were 6,218 individuals included in this study, with slightly more females (54%) than males, and the mean age was 51 years. Dietary variables including eating more than 3 snacks per day, having unstructured meals, consuming sugar-sweetened beverages, and drinking sugar-sweetened beverages for more than 30 minutes were found to be significantly related to planned caries treatment (p <0.01). Multivariate models, controlling for age, sex, and insurance status, also showed dietary factors to be significantly related to planned caries treatment.
Conclusions: In contrast to our previous study of completed treatments, our analysis found dietary factors are strongly related to caries development. Findings suggest that sugar-related questions are valuable in CRA, and that planned treatments may be a better proxy measure for caries in a dental school population.