Changes in comprehensive dental care of the primary dentition from 1979 to 1989. I. Caries diagnosis and prevalence in a population treated at a university dental clinic.
The aim of the study was to monitor caries diagnosis and prevalence from 3 to 8 years of age in 199 children born in 1981, Cohort '81, and to compare the results with those of a similar investigation of 194 children born in 1971, Cohort '71. Cohort '71 was called annually for dental check-ups while Cohort '81 had prolonged check-up intervals. There was a significant difference between the two cohorts in the number of bite-wing exposures; a mean of 3.1 in Cohort '71 and 1.6 in Cohort '81. No bite-wings were taken in 1.1% of the children in Cohort '71 and in 9.5% of those in Cohort '81. At the age of eight years, caries diagnosis was supported by radiography in 76% of the children in both cohorts. In Cohort '71 proximal caries was diagnosed as manifest d-s when it was deeper than two-thirds of the enamel thickness and in Cohort '81, when a lesion had penetrated the enamel or was seen in the dentin. Manifest caries was diagnosed later in Cohort '81 than in Cohort '71. Cohort '81 showed an overall decline in occlusal caries while the distal surfaces of the first primary molars continued to be as vulnerable as in Cohort '71. The structure of the population and the preventive measures did not change but the caries prevalence was halved from 6.3 d-s in 1979 to 3.0 d-s in 1989 in 8-year-old children.
Varpio
M
M
University of Göteborg, Sweden.
D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003190:Comprehensive Dental Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D003481:Cuspid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003740:Dental Clinics; D006801:Humans; D008963:Molar / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D015995:Prevalence; D016300:Radiography, Bitewing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012575:Schools, Dental; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging