Purpose: The aim of the present study was to assess the relationship between dental caries and dietary patterns in Sri Lankan adolescents. Materials and Methods: The sample consisted of 1218, 15-year-olds who were selected from 48 schools in the Colombo district of Sri Lanka using a stratified cluster sampling technique. Data were collected by distributing questionnaires among both adolescents and their parents and by conducting an oral examination of all adolescents. A validated 13 foods/food groups food frequency questionnaire was used to obtain dietary information. Results: Factor analysis extracted three dietary patterns from the 13 foods/food groups, and these patterns accounted for 41.44% of variation in the dietary intake. They were labelled as sweet, healthy and affluent dietary patterns. From the multiple logistic regression analysis, the sweet dietary pattern, household income and oral hygiene status emerged as significant predictors of dental caries. Conclusions: It was concluded that dietary pattern labelled as sweet emerged as a significant predictor of dental caries.
Keywords: adolescents, dental caries, dietary patterns