Occurrence of root caries in relation to dental health behavior.

We studied the relationship between the occurrence of untreated root caries and a subject's dental health habits, such as the frequency of tooth-brushing, the avoidance of sugar, and regularity of dental visits. A representative sample of 5028 adults was examined. Information on dental health habits was collected by professional interviewers one to six weeks before the clinical examination. A high frequency of tooth-brushing was strongly related to a low occurrence of root caries. The use of sugar in coffee or tea was strongly associated with root caries occurrence among men. The use of sweets was related to root caries occurrence moderately in men but not at all in women. Regular dental check-up behavior was strongly related to an infrequent occurrence of root caries. It was concluded that dental health behavior influences root caries occurrence and that caries on root surfaces is associated with poor dental health habits. Age and gender differences in root caries occurrence, reported earlier, may relate to different dental health behavior of women and men.