title: Caries experience in rural Victorian adolescents.
abstract: An oral health status survey was conducted on 818 adolescents aged 12 to 16 years in a non-fluoridated area in rural Victoria. The prevalence and severity of dental caries experience was found to increase with age. The occlusal surface was the predominant surface affected by dental caries for all age groups. Filled surfaces represented the largest component of the DMFS index and were responsible for the increasing dental caries experience with age. Fewer fissure sealants were present with increasing age and second molars were sealed less often than the first molars. Although no difference was evident in the total caries experience between those with and without access to public dental services, a statistical difference was found to exist in unmet need between these two groups. Untreated caries levels were significantly higher in health card holders. The provision of preventive and dental treatment services to this group should be a priority in the future.
authors.affiliation: Dental Health Services, Department of Health and Community Services, Victoria.
authors.forename: Y S
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Soo
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Morgan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003750:Dental Fissures / Q000453:epidemiology; D003752:Dental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006292:Health Priorities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008963:Molar; D010355:Patient Identification Systems; D010895:Pit and Fissure Sealants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015995:Prevalence; D011313:Preventive Dentistry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D012423:Rural Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014739:Victoria / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D010895:Pit and Fissure Sealants