Oral Health Profile In A Turkish Subpopulation Aged 18+

The purpose of this study was to assess the oral health status and related factors in a Turkish adult subpopulation aged 19-79 years. The ethical approval for the study was received from Necmettin Erbakan University Faculty of Dentistry Ethics Committee (approval no: 2024/454). The study included 1034 patients (418 men and 616 women) aged 19-79 (mean: 36.23±13.2) who presented for routine dental examination. The DMFT indices of all participants were calculated, and their education level, marital status, smoking and alcohol habits, tooth brushing habits, blood types, medication use, and systemic diseases were recorded. Statistical analysis of the study was conducted using SPSS v.21 software (IBM, Armonk, NY, USA), and p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. The mean DMFT value of individuals was 9.86±6.7. The DMFT index did not show a statistically significant difference based on gender, smoking and alcohol consumption, or blood groups (p>0.05); however, it differed significantly according to age, marital status, tooth brushing habits, systemic diseases and medication use, and education level (p<0.001). The findings indicate that the overall oral health status of this Turkish adult subpopulation is suboptimal, as reflected by a relatively high mean DMFT value. Oral health status, as measured by the DMFT index, is significantly influenced by factors such as age, marital status, tooth brushing habits, systemic diseases, medication use, and education level.