{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,11]],"date-time":"2026-09-11T02:38:25Z","timestamp":1789094305286,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":42,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"18","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,9,16]],"date-time":"2021-09-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1631750400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>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 &lt; 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 &lt; 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 &gt; 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.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph18189741","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,9,16]],"date-time":"2021-09-16T21:38:12Z","timestamp":1631828292000},"page":"9741","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":12,"title":["The Dental Aesthetic Index and Its Association with Dental Caries, Dental Plaque and Socio-Demographic Variables in Schoolchildren Aged 12 and 15 Years"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"given":"Paula","family":"Fern\u00e1ndez-Riveiro","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychiatry, Radiology, Public Health, Nursing and Medicine, Medicine and Dentistry School, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nerea","family":"Obreg\u00f3n-Rodr\u00edguez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Surgery and Medical Surgical Specialties, Medicine and Dentistry School, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3655-100X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mar\u00eda","family":"Pi\u00f1eiro-Lamas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health, CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3350-1237","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Almudena","family":"Rodr\u00edguez-Fern\u00e1ndez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychiatry, Radiology, Public Health, Nursing and Medicine, Medicine and Dentistry School, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ernesto","family":"Smyth-Chamosa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychiatry, Radiology, Public Health, Nursing and Medicine, Medicine and Dentistry School, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain"},{"name":"Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health, CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7774-0643","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mar\u00eda Mercedes","family":"Su\u00e1rez-Cunqueiro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Surgery and Medical Surgical Specialties, Medicine and Dentistry School, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain"},{"name":"Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), University Clinical Hospital of Santiago de Compostela (CHUS\/SERGAS), 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,9,16]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"314","article-title":"Prevalence of Malocclusion in Italian Schoolchildren and Orthodontic Treatment Need","volume":"14","author":"Grippaudo","year":"2013","journal-title":"Eur. 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