Diagnostic Validity of Self-Perceived Dental Caries in Indonesian Young Adolescents Aged 12-15 Years

Objective: To compare self-perceived information and clinically diagnosed dental caries status among Indonesian children aged 12–15 years. Material and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a questionnaire was used to obtain self-perceived information. Clinical examinations were conducted to determine the mean number of decayed, missing or filled teeth (DMFT) and the presence of severely decayed teeth with visible pulpal involvement, ulceration caused by dislocated tooth fragments, fistula, and abscess (PUFA). The study included 494 children aged 12–15 years recruited from six junior high schools in Jakarta, Indonesia. The clinical examination results and responses to the self-perceived assessment questionnaire were compared to determine the sensitivity and specificity. Results: The proportions of children with dental caries and clinical consequences of untreated dental caries in this study were 69.4% and 17.6%, respectively, with mean DMFT and PUFA index scores of 2.4 and 0.2, respectively. For the DMFT index, the self-perceived need for oral treatment had the highest sensitivity (86%), while the dental pain had the highest specificity (89%). For the PUFA index, the self perceived oral health condition had the highest sensitivity (92%), while the self-perceived dental pain had the highest specificity (82%). However, none of the self-perceived variables had both high sensitivity and specificity. Conclusion: Self-perceived information obtained from the questionnaire can not properly evaluate the clinical status of dental caries.