ORAL HEALTH EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE PROGRAM
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Title Do Adult Women Have A Higher Caries Prevalence Than Adult Men?
Clinical Question In an adult female, is her dental caries prevalence greater than that of an adult male?
Clinical Bottom Line It is not clear if there are significant gender disparities in caries prevalence, thus, more research needs to be done in order to answer this question. (See Comments on the CAT below)
Best Evidence (you may view more info by clicking on the PubMed ID link)
PubMed ID Author / Year Patient Group Study type
(level of evidence)
#1) 16788889Lukacs/20063,288 teeth amongst the Guanaches of the Canary IslandsReview Article
Key resultsThe corrected caries rate for females was 8.8%, nearly twice the male caries rate of 4.5%.
#2) N/ANHANESAdults 20-64 yrs of age from the USACohort
Key resultsThe percentage of females with caries, missing or filled permanent teeth was 92.66 whereas that of males was 90.57 but there was no statistical significance stated for this difference.
Evidence Search Search (("Dental Caries"[Mesh] AND "Prevalence"[Mesh]) AND "Female"[Mesh]) AND "Sex Characteristics"[Mesh] Limits: Humans, English("Dental Caries"[Mesh] AND "Prevalence"[Mesh]) AND "Female"[Mesh] Limits: Humans, English 13:24:06 985 #56 Search "Dental Caries"[Mesh] Limits: Humans, English----------------------http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/nidcr2.nih.gov/Templates/CommonPage.aspx?NRMODE=Published&NRNODEGUID=%7BB542B887-4D41-47EA-A124-A112FDF877AD%7D&NRORIGINALURL=/DataStatistics/FindDataByTopic/DentalCaries/DentalCariesAdults20to64.htm&NRCACHEHINT=Guest%23Table1
Comments on
The Evidence
The study patients reviewed by Lukacs did not represent the full spectrum of those who present with this clinical problem, because it only included a specific region in the Canary Islands. We cannot tell if the criteria for each final diagnosis was explicit and credible, if the diagnostic work-up was comprehensive and consistently applied, if the follow up was sufficiently long and complete, or if there were competing interests. However, the data gathered from the NHANES chart is weighted more heavily because the patients are from the USA and more representative of our patient population. Again, the statistical significance was not stated.
Applicability We cannot tell if the subjects used in Lukacs study are representative of our patients. Harms/benefits not applicable given this is a question of prevalence. Having said that, stress oral hygiene instructions in pregnant women, pubescent girls and women of child-bearing age. The subjects used in the NHANES study are more representative of our patients but the statistical difference between genders was not stated.
Specialty/Discipline (Public Health) (General Dentistry)
Keywords
ID# 766
Date of submission: 03/15/2011spacer
E-mail pacha@uthscsa.edu
Author Sarah Pacha
Co-author(s)
Co-author(s) e-mail
Faculty mentor/Co-author Barbara MacNeill, DMD
Faculty mentor/Co-author e-mail macneill@uthscsa.edu
Basic Science Rationale
(Mechanisms that may account for and/or explain the clinical question, i.e. is the answer to the clinical question consistent with basic biological, physical and/or behavioral science principles, laws and research?)
post a rationale
None available
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Comments and Evidence-Based Updates on the CAT
(FOR PRACTICING DENTISTS', FACULTY, RESIDENTS and/or STUDENTS COMMENTS ON PUBLISHED CATs)
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by Nathan Galloway, Jason Jones, Tanvi Patel (San Antonio, Texas) on 01/06/2014
A PubMed search conducted in January 2014 on the “sex differences in dental caries experience” revealed a new a publication, albeit written by one of the same authors referenced in the CAT: Lukacs 2011, PubMed: 20652339 . This review showed similar results as those published in this CAT increasing the population size of the study based on several other publications on the topic and emphasizing that caries etiology is complex and multifactorial.
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