Risk Factors of the Retention of Deciduous Teeth in Adolescents Aged 12–15: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract Background: Retention of deciduous teeth (RDT) is a tooth replacement abnormality that affects the oral cavity and health of adolescents. However, evidence of the quantitative effects of determinants on RDT is still limited. A better understanding of the quantifying determinants of RDT would support evidence-based policymaking to reduce the incidence of RDT in China and other developing areas globally. Methods: The target population of this study focuses on the 12- to 15-year-old age group amounting to 11,351 sample individuals derived from the Fourth National Oral Health Survey of China (2015) and the First Oral Health Survey of Shanxi Province, China (2018). Propensity score matching(PSM) method and logical regression model were employed to explore the epidemiological characteristics and determinants of RDT in adolescents. Results: The retention rate of deciduous teeth (RRDT) of adolescents aged 12–15 in Shanxi Province was 11.74% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 9.78–13.70%). Dental caries was found to be a risk factor, with a corresponding odds ratio (OR) of 1.22 (95%CI: 1.04–1.43). Relative to a non-only child, the OR of an only-child was 0.72 (95%CI: 0.60–0.86). For adolescents, brushing their teeth every day and having their teeth examined can lower their risk of RDT. The education level of the mother and body mass index were found to be protective factors of RDT. Conclusions: Socio-economic factors and individual characteristic behaviours are closely related to the RDT of adolescents aged 12–15 years. More attention should be paid to the RDT of adolescents in China and other areas worldwide.