Prevalence of Caries and Malocclusion in an Indigenous Population in Chiapas, Mexico

Objectives: To assess the prevalence of caries and malocclusion in 14-20 year old Mayan Mexican adolescents living in Chiapas, Mexico. Methods: This is a cross-sectional, population-based, quantitative, epidemiological study. Sites were chosen to capture subjects representative of the state’s Mayan population. A combined total of 354 subjects were recruited. Caries experience was quantified via visual inspection using the Decayed, Missing, and Filled Surface index (DMFS). Malocclusion was quantified using the Index of Complexity, Outcome, and Need (ICON). Results: Our data showed 99% of the population had caries experience, with a median DMFS score of 8. Out of the 99% with caries experience over half had caries affecting more than 5 tooth surfaces. Thirty seven percent of the students had unmet orthodontic treatment need, 46.46 % presented a class II anterior-posterior relationship whereas 39.09% presented a class III. Conclusions: Less than 1% of the population had any exposure to orthodontics demonstrating the lack of access to care. Likewise, only 1% of the population was found to have no caries experience, exhibiting a large unmet treatment need. The median DMFS score of 8 was also high in comparison to DMFS of the US at 6. Our data suggests a correlation between the lack of access to care and high prevalence in caries and malocclusion in Mexican Mayans that inhabit Chiapas Mexico