Dental caries in a Norwegian adult population, the HUNT4 oral health study; prevalence, distribution and 45-year trends.

To investigate dental caries prevalence amongst adults in Central Norway and assess changes over the last 45 years. The cross-sectional HUNT4 Oral Health Study was conducted in 2017-2019. A random sample of 4913 participants aged ≥19 years answered questionnaires and underwent clinical and radiographic examinations. Data were compared to findings from previous studies in the same region conducted from 1973 to 2006. Mean number of decayed, missing and filled teeth (D Despite a substantial reduction in caries experience over the last 45 years, untreated dentine caries was common, evenly distributed across all age groups. Initial caries particularly affected younger individuals, indicating a need to evaluate prevention strategies and access to dental services.