Apical periodontitis
The researchers also found that many had apical periodontitis, which is inflammation around the tip of the tooth root. This type of inflammation can be caused by a deep cavity attack, where bacteria have entered the nerve of the tooth. This infection can spread further down the root canal and lead to inflammation around the tooth root.
“We observed that some of the participants had not received treatment for this,” says Diep. This could be due to them not being aware of having apical periodontitis because they had no symptoms and hadn’t visited the dentist in a long time. It could also be due to them choosing to delay treatment for various reasons, such as limited finances.
Cavities and dry mouth
The researchers also found that untreated cavities were most common among the following groups: men, individuals born in non-Western countries, those with lower education levels, those who rarely visited the dentist, those who had to postpone dental treatment due to financial constraints, those who brushed their teeth less than twice a day, and those with reduced saliva production.
