Dental caries status of preschool children in Hong Kong

OBJECTIVE: To describe the dental caries status of preschool children in Hong Kong and factors which affect their caries status. DESIGN: 658 preschool children aged 4 to 6 years from six randomly selected kindergartens in Hong Kong were surveyed in December 1997. A questionnaire to investigate possible explanatory variables for caries status was completed by their parents. Dental caries was diagnosed according to the criteria recommended by the World Health Organization (1997). RESULT: Caries experience as measured by the mean number of decayed, missing and filled primary teeth (dmft) of the 4-, 5-, and 6-year-old children were found to be 0.9, 1.8, and 3.3 respectively. Overall, 61% of the children had a zero dmft score. Children born in Mainland China had a higher mean dmft score (4.6) than those born in Hong Kong (1.4). Statistically significant correlations were found between the children's dental caries status and their oral health practices as well as their socio-economic background. Parents' education level, dental knowledge and attitudes were also associated with the children's dental caries experience. CONCLUSION: In general, the caries status of Hong Kong Chinese preschool children was similar to that of children in industrialised countries and was better than that of children in the nearby areas. However, special dental programmes should be made available to children from lower socio-economic classes and new immigrants from Mainland China because they are the high risk groups for caries in Hong Kong.     

Tooth and surface patterns of dental caries in 12-year-old urban children in East Africa

In this report on the findings of a baseline study designed to monitor changes in the prevalence of dental caries in 12-yr-old children in Dar es Salaam and Nairobi, the details relating to the pattern of carious attack on particular tooth and surface types are described. In both populations molars accounted for over 90% of all affected teeth and in both groups first molars were more affected than second molars. Very few anterior teeth were affected in either population, though caries of the incisors and canines accounted for a greater proportion of affected teeth in Nairobi (3.4%) than in Dar es Salaam (0.6%). Significantly more mandibular first and second molars were affected in Dar es Salaam than in Nairobi, though in Nairobi the maxillary first molars were more affected than in Dar es Salaam. Occlusal surfaces were the most common site for caries in both populations. With the exception of buccal surfaces, smooth surface caries tended to be higher in Nairobi than in Dar es Salaam. Dar es Salaam children had, however, a significantly higher mean DFS score for occlusal surfaces. The preponderance of occlusal caries indicates that relatively simple restorative care is required to meet the needs of the two populations, and it is suggested that such care could be largely provided by auxiliary dental personnel.     

上海市12岁儿童患龋状况调查分析

目的 了解上海市12岁儿童恒牙患龋状况,为龋病预防提供科学依据。方法 采取随机抽样方法 按照WHO口腔调查基本方法 中的龋病诊断标准对全市19个区县2 519名12岁学生进行口腔检查。结果 2 519名12岁儿童的患龋率和龋均分别为36.64%和0.61。其中97.14%的龋齿发生于窝沟。男女患龋率之间有显著性差异。显著性龋均指数为1.77,龋齿充填率为24.58%,窝沟封闭率为0.52。结论 上海12岁儿童龋患呈两极化分布,龋齿主要发生于第一恒磨牙的牙合面窝沟。     

Dental caries prevalence and treatment status of 12-year-old children in a non-fluoridated area

424 12-year-old children were examined in Mallow, a non-fluoridated town in North Cork, to ascertain the dental status of children finishing first level education. Both the caries prevalence and the treatment pattern were examined. The DMF was found to be 6.58 and the RI was 52.5%. A new index of restored and sound teeth (RSI) was applied and a value of 38.6% was obtained.     

Oral hygiene and toothbrushing habits of 12-year-old children in Hong Kong

Randomly selected groups of 486 Southern Chinese and 129 non-Chinese 12-yr-old Hong Kong children were examined for calculus and oral debris. The non-Chinese children had less plaque and calculus than the Chinese children (P less than 0.001). The girls had lower plaque scores than the boys in both ethnic groups. The higher frequency of toothbrushing by the girls possibly reflects their greater awareness of personal appearance. There is a need to increase the standard of oral hygiene and the level of dental awareness amongst Chinese children living in Hong Kong.     

The decline in dental caries among 12-year-old children in Germany between 1994 and 2000

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of dental caries in 12-year-old-children in 11 of the 16 German Federal States over time following the introduction of intensive preventive measures. DESIGN: Cross sectional oral health surveys of children aged 12 years were performed in 1994-1995, 1997 and 2000. SUBJECTS: After random selection 18,459 (1994-1995), 22,908 (1997) and 24,679 (2000) children were examined in schools. METHOD: DMFT and fissure sealants were recorded following WHO criteria. Caries was diagnosed at the caries into dentine (D3) threshold using visual method without radiography or fiber-optic transillumination. RESULTS: The mean DMFT scores for Germany decreased from 2.44 in 1994-1995 to 1.81 in 1997 and 1.24 in 2000. In 1994-1995 31.1% of 12-year-olds had no caries experience (DMFT = 0). The corresponding figures were 42.5% in 1997 and 55.3% in 2000. The average Significant Caries Index (SiC index) dropped from 5.25 in 1994-1995 to 4.29 in 1997 and to 3.30 in 2000. The results in different federal states showed a wide variation in caries prevalence. In the first examination, mean DMFT scores between 2.10 and 3.54 were found, while after the third evaluation corresponding values between 1.03 and 1.95 were observed. In 1997 on average between 0.20 and 2.00 teeth with fissure sealants per child were found, the corresponding values in 2000 were between 2.13 and 2.83. CONCLUSION: The results of our study show considerable inequalities in oral health in the various federal states. Nevertheless, oral health in Germany improved considerably between the years 1994 and 2000.     

The effects of socioeconomic status and dental attendance on dental caries' experience, and treatment patterns in 5-year-old children

OBJECTIVE: To compare the dental caries' experience and treatment received by 5-year-old children registered with a GDP. DESIGN: Retrospective case note review of all 5-year-old children registered with seven GDPs. SETTING: The study was carried out in 1996/7 in Wirral and North Cheshire in the north west of England. SUBJECTS AND MATERIALS: Clinical, demographic and attendance data were collected from each practice using a common data abstraction form. Subjects were categorised according to regular/irregular attenders, and into five groups ranging from affluent to deprived using the Super Profiles geodemographic classification. The relationships between disease experience, treatment, attendance and socioeconomic status were compared using cross-tabulations, t-tests and multiple linear regression. RESULTS: The dental records of 430 5-year-old children were available for analysis. Irregular attenders had significantly higher dmft, dt and mt, and fewer filled teeth. Only 29% of disease experience of regular attenders was treated by restoration. Both socioeconomic status and visiting behaviour exerted significant independent effects on dmft, but dental attendance alone had a significant effect on ft. CONCLUSIONS: Significant inequalities remain in the disease experience and service use of young children. Regularly attending children have less than a third of their diseased teeth restored. Consensus is needed across the profession on the care of the diseased deciduous dentition.     

Dental caries status and treatment needs of the permanent dentition of 6–12-year-olds in Hong Kong

An oral health survey was conducted in 1986 on a representative sample of primary school children in Hong Kong. 1483 Chinese children of both sexes, aged 6-12 yr, attending 56 primary schools were surveyed. The DMFT index for the 6-yr-olds was 0.1, and for the 12-yr-olds it was 1.5. Forty percent of the 12-yr-olds were clinically caries-free. The permanent molars constituted 90% of the total caries experience of the 12-yr-olds. Over 90% of the caries lesions were found in pits and fissures. The dental caries treatment need in the permanent dentition was low and of the simple type. A great reduction in the dental caries experience of the permanent dentition of children has occurred since the introduction of water fluoridation 25 yr ago. In addition to treatment care, preventive measures should be provided by the School Dental Care Service for children with a high caries risk.     

Pattern of dental caries in 12-year-old Sydney schoolchildren

A bstract — A determination of the caries pattern in 178 children, 12 years of age, from two high schools in the Northern Metropolitan Health Region in Sydney was made from clinical and radiological examinations. The mean decayed and filled (DF) surfaces score for the group was 2.14 (SD 3.06). No children had teeth missing due to caries.
The intra-oral distribution of DF surfaces was markedly influenced by the caries and restoration status of pits and fissures, particularly those in first permanent molars. When assessed on the basis of surfaces involved, pit and fissure lesions in first permanent molars alone represented 70 per cent of the total DF surfaces score, while pit and fissure lesions overall represented almost 76 per cent of the total.
The need for a greater emphasis on the prevention of pit and fissure lesions, including the wider use of pit and fissure sealants, is discussed.     

Correlates of dental caries in 12-year-old children in Europe: a cross-sectional analysis

OBJECTIVE: To investigate, from current cross-sectional data, the relationships between dental caries experience of 12-year-old children in 29 countries of Europe and four independent variables: national wealth (GDP), expressed as purchasing power parity (PPP x 1,000US$)/ capita/year; population per active dentist; sugar consumption, expressed as Kg/capita/year; and volume sales of toothpaste, expressed as litres/capita/year. METHOD: Most of the data were abstracted from relevant websites. Information on toothpaste sales was from personal communication and obtainable for 16 countries of Western Europe only. Relationships were examined using Spearman's rank correlation method. RESULTS: Mean DMFT showed a strong negative association with national GDP (rho = -0.729, p < 0.01), whilst toothpaste sales showed a statistically significant positive association with GDP (rho = 0.599, p < 0.05) as did sugar consumption (rho = 0.575, p < 0.01). Paradoxically, caries experience yielded a strong negative correlation with sugar consumption (rho = -0.561, p < 0.01) such that ranked increases in mean DMFT were significantly associated with decreasing levels of sugar consumption. None of the other rank correlations was statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Unavoidable shortcomings of the available data and their incompleteness meant that any conclusions that could be drawn were speculative. A possible explanation for the anomalous association of low mean DMFT with high sugar consumption in Western Europe is that the extensive use of, mainly fluoride containing, toothpaste neutralises the potential damage from high sugar consumption. Use of sugar principally as a commercial food or drink additive in modern times, with potential for buffering of its acidic fermentation products, together with a possibly more rapid oral clearance of sugar in additive form, may also be a contributory factor.     

Severity of dental caries among 12-year-old Sudanese children with different fluoride exposure

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of fluoride on the severity of caries among children exposed to different concentrations of fluoride in the drinking water and living in rural areas in the Sudan. Permanently resident schoolchildren ( n =299) aged 11–13 years from three villages were clinically examined under field conditions. The caries criterion was teeth in need of extraction or extracted; only molars were recorded. Dental fluorosis was scored on all buccal tooth surfaces by the Thylstrup and Fejerskov index. The fluoride concentrations of the drinking water were assessed in samples ( n =25) collected from wells and households. Predictors of caries were assessed by logistic regression analyses. There was no significant difference regarding age and gender distribution between the areas ( P >0.05, df=2, Kruskal-Wallis test). The socio-economic conditions in these villages were presumed to be equal. Significantly different fluoride concentrations in the drinking water were verified by the severity of dental fluorosis. Children in Abu Delaig, drinking water with 1.0–2.0 mg fluoride/L (median = 1.8), had significantly higher caries prevalence (21% versus 8%) than in a 0.4 mg fluoride area. Area was the only significant predictor for caries; odds ratio 3.7 for children in Abu Delaig compared with the low fluoride area. There was no difference in caries prevalence between the lowest and the highest fluoride (2.9 mg) area. This study failed to demonstrate an effect of fluoride in drinking water on caries experience when the end point was molars indicated for extraction or missing because of caries.     

Association of dental caries and weight status in 6- to 7-year-old Filipino children

Objectives

The aims of the study were (1) to assess in 6- to 7-year-old Filipino children caries prevalence and experience and the weight status and (2) to investigate the association between dental caries and weight status.

Materials and methods

Dental and anthropometric examinations were conducted on 1,962 6- to 7-year-old children during the National Oral Health Survey in 2005–2006. Dental caries assessments were carried out using World Health Organisation (WHO) criteria (1997). Weight status was assessed with body mass index according to WHO growth reference. A multivariable logistic regression model was applied to investigate the effect of dental caries and sociodemographic variables on the children’s weight status.

Results

Caries prevalence was 96.8 % in primary and 39.7 % in permanent teeth, and caries experience was 8.4 dmft and 0.6 DMFT. Of the children, 17.8 % were underweight, 73.0 % had normalweight, 6.0 % were overweight and 3.2 % were obese. Girls had a lower risk of being underweight than boys odds ratios (OR) 0.70, confidence interval (CI) 0.55–0.88. Children living in rural areas and with no television at home were more likely to be underweight (OR 1.36, CI 1.07–1.72; OR 1.37, CI 1.07–1.76, respectively). Fewer primary and permanent teeth were risk factors for being underweight (OR 0.93, CI 0.92–0.95; OR 0.90, CI 0.89–0.94, respectively).

Conclusions

Underweight was associated stronger with demographic and socioeconomic conditions than with dental variables. However, underweight and dental caries are public health issues of high priority affecting children at an important phase of their development.

Clinical relevance

Definite conclusions upon an association between dental caries and weight status in high caries risk schoolchildren cannot be drawn.     

Water fluoridation and dental caries in 5- and 12-year-old children from Canterbury and Wellington

OBJECTIVES: Claims have been made that the effectiveness of water fluoridation has reduced due to the widespread availability of other sources of fluoride. This study examines the differences in the oral health of children living in fluoridated and non-fluoridated areas of Canterbury and Wellington, New Zealand. DESIGN: The data used in this cross-sectional study had been routinely collected into a computerized data-collection system by the School Dental Services in the two study areas. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Records of dental status (dmfs/DMFS), fluoridation status, ethnicity, and socio-economic status for 8030 5-year-olds, and 6916 12-year-olds in 1996 were analysed. RESULTS: Caries prevalence and severity was consistently lower for children in the fluoridated area for both age groups, and within all subgroups. Five-year-olds in the fluoridated area had 2.63 dmfs (sd, 5.88), and those in the non-fluoridated area 3.80 dmfs (sd, 6.79). For 12-year-olds the respective figures were 1.39 DMFS (sd, 2.30) and 2.37 DMFS (sd, 3.46). Multivariable analysis confirmed the independent association between water fluoridation and better dental health. CONCLUSIONS: This results of this study show children living in a fluoridated area to have significantly better oral health compared to those not in a fluoridated area. These differences are greater for Maori and Pacific children and children of low socio-economic status.     

Dental caries and periodontal status of 12-year-old school children in rural Qinghai,China

OBJECTIVES: To describe the dental caries and periodontal status of 12-year-old children in rural Qinghai and to compare the oral health status between the Han and ethnic minority children. METHOD: Children aged 12-years in three primary schools in Hexi Townships, Guide County, Hainan Tibetan Autonomous State, Qinghai Province, China, were invited to participate in the survey conducted during July 2001. Each child was interviewed and clinically examined in the schools, using portable equipment. World Health Organization (WHO) examination procedures and diagnostic criteria were used. SPSS 11.0 was used for data compilation and statistical analysis. RESULTS: All 196 12-year-olds (118 Han and 78 from ethnic minorities, i.e. Muslims and Tibetans) were surveyed. 48% of the children reported never brushing their teeth, while 12% brushed only every 2-3 days. Over ninety per cent (n=182) of the children had never visited a dentist. The DMFT scores in Han and in minority groups were found to be 0.12 and 0.23 respectively. A larger proportion of children in Han group (94%) had no caries experience (DMFT = 0) than that of Muslim and Tibetan (82%) groups (p<0.01). None of the children had healthy gingiva (i.e. highest CPI score=0) and 85% had calculus. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of caries experience in Han children is significantly lower than that in Muslim and Tibetan children in rural Qinghai. Dental caries and caries treatment needs of Han and minority rural schoolchildren in Qinghai are low but their periodontal health status is unsatisfactory. Basic dental health care and preventive education for the children in this part of China is needed.