Caries experience and distribution in relation to treatment needs among teenagers in Espoo, Finland.
An annual check-up was made in groups of 12- and 16-yr-old children by dentists of the Public Health Center of Espoo. The D index was used instead of DMFT index, because it expresses the need for conservative treatment. This information, again, is essential for planning public dental care. The children were divided into four groups according to the number of decayed teeth developed during a period of approximately 1 yr. Children with D = 0 were classified as healthy, D = 1 as low, D = 2 as moderate, and D = 3 or more as high caries incidence. In 1980 the percentage of the group D = 0 was about 52% in the 12-yr-olds. In 1988 the percentage had increased up to about 73%. The corresponding figures of the 16-yr-olds were 33% and 62%. Simultaneously, the high caries incidence groups had decreased in 12-yr-olds from 13% in 1980 to 5% in 1988 and in 16-yr-olds from 31% to 10%. These observations emphasize the need for retargeting prevention of caries in order to provide additional preventive treatment to the high incidence groups while the routine prophylaxis given to the other groups may be decreased.
Luoma
A R
AR
Public Health Center, Espoo, Finland.
Rönnberg
K
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D012189:Retrospective Studies