Prevalence of Pulpal and/or Periradicular Disease in the VCU School of Dentistry Screening Patient Population

• Main Author: Oertel, Ellen Rives
• Format: Others
• Published: VCU Scholars Compass 2005
• Subjects: disease; periradicular; pulpal; prevalence; Dentistry; Endodontics and Endodontology; Medicine and Health Sciences
• Online Access: http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/1487; http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2486&context=etd

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and demographic predictors of pulpal and/or periradicular disease in an urban population. A total of 210 subjects were recruited from a population of patients that were screened for acceptance to the dental school clinics. The diagnosis of pulpal and/or periradicular disease was made using the following data: radiographic interpretation, patient's history of previous pain and chief complaint, and objective pulpal testing. Objective pulpal testing included percussion, palpation, electric pulp test, and cold. The unit of observation was the individual, not the tooth. The overall prevalence of endodontic disease among the study sample of the screening patient population was 39.52%. Controlling for gender, patients in the 30-39 age group were 3.05 times more likely to have pulpal disease than patients in the 18-29 age group (OR=3.05, 95%CI 1.04-8.9). Controlling for age, men were 1.82 times more likely to have pulpal disease than women (OR=1.82, 95%CI 1.01-3.26). Non-white patients were 2.69 times more likely to have pulpal disease than white patients (OR=2.69, 95%CI 1.51-4.81). Patients who earned less than $25,000 were 2.06 times more likely to have pulpal disease compared to those who earned more than $25,000 (OR=2.06, 95% CI 1.15-3.69). Overall, this data provides valuable information for identifying vulnerable populations and addressing the policy goals of the U.S. Surgeon General.