Caries in the primary dentition remains a public health problem despite a general decline in caries prevalence over the past 25 years. The present cross-sectional study investigates a hypothesized association between closed contact points in the primary dentition and approximal caries formation. It was carried out using a convenience sample of 286 children receiving dental care at the Montreal Children's Hospital. Bivariate analysis was performed using odd ratios, to determine which independent variables collected by the survey had a significant association with the dependent variable (approximal caries). Significant independent variables were then controlled for in multiple logistic regression analysis. These analyses revealed a strong association between the presence of approximal caries and closed contact points, warranting further investigation by longitudinal studies. If these results can be replicated, flossing the primary teeth and incorporating tooth position into prediction models could become important preventative weapons in fighting this disease.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.33006 |
| Date | January 2001 |
| Creators | Jamensky, Glen Alexander. |
| Contributors | Schwartz, S. (advisor), Allison, Paul (advisor) |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Master of Science (Faculty of Dentistry.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001838383, proquestno: MQ75321, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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