Table 3.
Dental caries experience of the studied young adults according to their behaviors (n = 324)
| n | % with DMFT > 0 | p* | Mean DMFT (SD) | p** | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snacking frequency |
|
|
0.355 |
|
0.500 |
| Never |
88 |
62.5 |
|
1.3 (1.4) |
|
| Once |
131 |
61.1 |
|
1.7 (2.1) |
|
| Twice or more |
105 |
53.3 |
|
1.3 (1.7) |
|
| Toothbrushing frequency |
|
|
0.867 |
|
0.280 |
| Once or less |
104 |
59.6 |
|
1.1 (1.3) |
|
| Twice or more |
220 |
58.6 |
|
1.6 (1.9) |
|
| Use of fluoride toothpaste |
|
|
0.840 |
|
0.731 |
| With fluoride |
180 |
59.4 |
|
1.4 (1.7) |
|
| No fluoride or do not know |
144 |
58.3 |
|
1.5 (1.9) |
|
| Use of dental floss |
|
|
0.675 |
|
0.456 |
| No |
257 |
58.4 |
|
1.4 (1.8) |
|
| Yes |
67 |
61.2 |
|
1.5 (1.8) |
|
| Use of mouthrinse |
|
|
0.107 |
|
0.091 |
| No |
238 |
56.3 |
|
1.4 (1.9) |
|
| Yes |
86 |
66.3 |
|
1.6 (1.5) |
|
| Use of toothpick |
|
|
0.702 |
|
0.911 |
| No |
211 |
59.7 |
|
1.4 (1.8) |
|
| Yes |
113 |
57.5 |
|
1.5 (1.8) |
|
| Utilization of dental services during past 3 years |
0.050 |
|
0.004 |
||
| No |
164 |
53.7 |
|
1.1 (1.6) |
|
| Yes | 160 | 64.4 | 1.8 (1.9) | ||
* p-value was computed from Chi square test to compare the proportions between groups.
** p-value was computed from Mann–Whitney U test or Kruskal Wallis 1-way ANOVA test to compare the distributions between groups.