Fernández-Riveiro, PaulaObregón Rodríguez, NereaPiñeiro Lamas, MaríaRodríguez Fernández, AlmudenaSmyth Chamosa, ErnestoSuárez Cunqueiro, María Mercedes2024-02-132024-02-132021-09-16Fernández-Riveiro P, Obregón-Rodríguez N, Piñeiro-Lamas M, Rodríguez-Fernández A, Smyth-Chamosa E, Suárez-Cunqueiro MM. The dental aesthetic index and its association with dental caries, dental plaque and socio-demographic variables in schoolchildren aged 12 and 15 years. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021;18(18).http://hdl.handle.net/10347/32816Abstract: The Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI) was determined in 12- and 15-year-old schoolchildren to ascertain the prevalence of malocclusion and to assess its association with dental caries experience, dental plaque accumulation, and socio-demographic variables. We performed a cross-sectional study with a stratified two-stage sampling design. An oral health survey and oral examination were conducted, and socio-demographic data were recorded. The sample comprised 1453 schoolchildren aged 12 (868) and 15 (585). These two samples were analyzed separately because statistically significant differences were found: the 12-year-old age group displayed a higher frequency of schoolchildren who attended state-run public schools (p = 0.004) and belonged to a lower social class (p = 0.001); the 15-year-old age group registered higher levels of caries (p = 0.001) and lower levels of dental plaque (p < 0.001). The malocclusion was 9.5% higher (p = 0.001), and the global mean DAI score was likewise higher among the 12-year-olds (p < 0.001). The multivariate regression analysis not only showed that caries and dental plaque were the variables that were the most strongly associated with malocclusion, but that caries (OR = 1.5) and dental plaque (OR > 2) were also risk factors for malocclusion in both groups. In conclusion, this study revealed a higher prevalence of malocclusion and dental plaque at age 12. A higher risk of caries and dental plaque was found to be related to the presence of malocclusion in both age groups.eng© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Dental aesthetic indexSchoolchildrenDental cariesDental plaquePreventionOral healthPaediatric dentistryjournal article10.3390/ijerph181897411660-4601open access