Table 3 Association between social gradient (from best to worst) and caries levels (enamel lesions, pre-cavitated lesions, cavitated lesions) and total caries prevalence adjusted by areas of living

European background

Social Gradient

Enamel Lesions (ICDAS 1/2)

Pre-cavitated Lesions (ICDAS 3/4)

Cavitated Lesions (ICDAS 5/6)

Overall Caries prevalence (ICDAS ≠ 0)

OR (95%CI)

OR (95%CI)

OR (95%CI)

OR (_95%CI)

Best

reference

reference

reference

reference

Good

1.34 (1.17–1.54)

3.22 (2.35–4.40)

4.30 (3.61–5.13)

3.24 (2.88–3.66)

Bad

1.31 (1.04–1.64)

5.81 (3.74–9.03)

2.87 (2.27–3.64)

2.78 (2.31–3.34)

Worst

3.97 (1.14–13.83)

6.61 (0.90–48.60)

6.42 (1.99–20.75)

16.77 (3.56–83.74)

Mantel Haenszel trend of odds

χ² = 19.02 p < 0.01

χ² = 60.28 p < 0.01

χ² = 203.23 p < 0.01

χ² = 325.97 p < 0.01

Non-European background

Social Gradient

Enamel Lesions (ICDAS 1/2)

Pre-cavitated Lesions (ICDAS 3/4)

Cavitated Lesions (ICDAS 5/6)

Overall Caries prevalence (ICDAS ≠ 0)

OR (95%CI)

OR (95%CI)

OR (95%CI)

OR (_95%CI)

Best

reference

reference

reference

reference

Good

–

–

3.62 (0.10–124.40)

19.87 (0.04- > 1000)

Bad

–

–

0.23 (0.01–7.43)

–

Worst

–

–

0.52 (0.11–2.35)

7.53 (0.33–170.47)

Mantel Haenszel trend of odds

––

––

χ² = 0.37 p = 0.54

χ² = 23.32 p < 0.01