Asian Journal of Research in Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Background: Untreated dental caries can progress to pulpal inflammation, necrosis, and periapical disease, but its patient-reported consequences remain poorly documented in rural Indonesian communities.

Objective: To describe dental caries experience and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among rural adults attending community screening with untreated caries and symptoms or clinical findings suggestive of pulpal or periapical involvement.

Methods: This community-based cross-sectional descriptive pilot study included a non-probability sample of 100 adults aged 18-81 years. A precision-based adequacy calculation for a single proportion (95% confidence, expected proportion 0.50, absolute precision 0.10) yielded a minimum of 96 participants; the achieved sample was 100. Dental status was summarised using decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMF-T) counts. OHRQoL was assessed with a locally adapted 14-item OHIP-derived questionnaire covering functional, physical, and social domains on a three-point frequency scale. Because radiography and standardised pulpal/periapical testing were unavailable, no definitive diagnosis of apical periodontitis was assigned. Analyses were descriptive.

Results: Women comprised 80% of participants, and 56% were younger than 45 years. The mean DMF-T score was 5.49; decayed teeth accounted for 65.0% of the index, missing teeth for 33.2%, and filled teeth for 1.8%. Frequent impacts included food impaction (45%), perceived bad breath (45%), difficulty smiling (29%), difficulty eating preferred foods (25%), and oral pain (20%). Mean item scores were highest for functional limitation (1.83), followed by physical (1.77) and social impacts (1.57); the aggregate mean total score was 23.37 out of 42.

Conclusion: This convenience pilot cohort showed a predominantly untreated disease profile accompanied by recurrent functional and physical burdens. The findings support earlier caries detection, accessible restorative care, and structured referral for confirmatory pulpal and periapical assessment. They should not be interpreted as prevalence estimates or causal evidence, and require confirmation with probability-based recruitment, radiographic diagnosis, and a validated Indonesian OHRQoL instrument.