Clinical patterns of hard dental tissue lesions in Indian medical students: a cross-sectional study

Relevance. This study reports the findings of a dental examination conducted among international students from various Indian states enrolled at a Russian medical university. The assessment focused on the condition of hard dental tissues and the quality of previously placed esthetic-functional restorations. The results provide a basis for determining the scope and priorities of conservative and restorative dental care needed to support and maintain oral health throughout the students’ academic training. Objective. To examine the structure, prevalence, and severity of hard dental tissue lesions and to evaluate the need for conservative treatment of carious and non-carious lesions in Indian students enrolled at a medical university. Materials and methods. A total of 200 international students participated in the study; their hard dental tissue status was evaluated by measuring caries prevalence (%), quantifying caries experience using the DMFT index, and identifying non-carious lesions. The diagnostic evaluation included a thorough visual-tactile examination, digital fiber-optic trans-illumination (FOTI) for caries detection, and an assessment of existing restorations according to Ryge’s clinical criteria. Results. The findings revealed a heterogeneous clinical pattern of hard dental tissue lesions among Indian students. This pattern was characterized by moderate caries prevalence and low caries experience, a high prevalence of dental fluorosis, and a considerable need for replacement of unsatisfactory composite restorations, predominantly on posterior teeth. Conclusion. The cross-sectional study identified a heterogeneous profile of hard dental tissue conditions among Indian students, characterized by: dental caries of moderate prevalence and low severity (68.9%; DMFT = 2.68 ± 0.20); endemic dental fluorosis (24.1%), predominantly presenting as diffuse or discrete white enamel opacities (71.2%); enamel hypoplasia (7.5%), mainly in the form of demarcated enamel defects (78.6%); a high proportion (53.2%) of previously placed posterior composite restorations demonstrating clinical deficiencies and requiring replacement.