Publication:

Dental caries prevalence and contributing factors in Southern Libya: a cross-sectional study

Background Dental caries is the most prevalent chronic disease among children and adults worldwide. It is still a major public health challenge, affecting over 2 billion people globally. The prevalence of dental caries in Libya exceeds 75%.

Methods This cross-sectional study design was conducted at the faculty of dentistry, Sebha University, and included 627 participants. Data was collected within a period of 8 months between July 2024 and May 2025. Dental caries was assessed by decayed, missing, filling teeth (DMFT) for permanent teeth and dmft for deciduous teeth), and oral hygiene status was measured by the oral hygiene index (OHI).

Result A total of 627 participants were recruited at a mean age of 32.95 (SD=14); 63.2% were female and 36.8% were male. The prevalence of dental caries in this study was exceptionally high; most of the participants 98.4% experienced dental caries at a median of 8.00 (0.00-30.00). The difference in DMFT between age groups was statistically significant (p=0.000). The OHI difference between genders was statistically significant (p=0.006). OHI was at a good level in the primary and tertiary education levels (median=1.30 and 1.40, respectively), whereas it was at a fair level in secondary education (median=2.16).

Conclusions The prevalence of dental caries was high in the study population. The old age group experienced more dental caries compared with other age groups. Sociodemographic factors, such as gender and educational level, play a critical role in shaping oral health behaviours.