Dental caries prevalence in adult patients at the university dental clinic, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Introduction: Dental caries is considered an important component of the global disease burden with a prevalence among adults as high as 100% in some countries. Aim: This study aimed to determine the pattern and severity of dental caries among the adult population attending the university dental clinic in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study carried out in a university dental clinic in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. It included 1365 adult patients. A questionnaire was used to collect the sociodemographic characteristics of the participants. World Health Organization guidelines were followed to confirm dental caries. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 29. Results and Discussion: The male-to-female ratio in this study was 1:1.74. The ages of all participants ranged from 18 to 90 years with a mean age of 39.26 years. The prevalence of dental caries was 88.9%, with an overall DMFT of 5.20 ± 0.14 ranging from 0-29 teeth. The age groups, education level, and marital status had a statistically significant association with dental caries. Conclusion: The prevalence of dental caries in the study participants was high, 88.7%. The posterior teeth in both jaws are more prone to dental caries than the anterior ones. The factors associated with higher DMFT include age group, sex, education level, and partner status of an individual.