title: [The prevalence of dental caries and necessary treatment in six to twelve year old schoolchildren in Goiânia, GO, Brazil, 1994].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The prevalence of dental caries and needs of treatment among schoolchildren in Goiânia-GO, middle-west of Brazil was assessed.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population consisted of 6-12-yr-old schoolchildren (n = 1,400) attending public schools located in the urban area of the city, where the water-supply had been fluoridated for 9 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean dmf-t and DMF-T for the total sample were 2.19 and 2.86, respectively, showing a reduction of 57.1% in the DMF-T as compared to the regional data from the national survey carried out in 1986. At age 12 DMF-T was 4.59, which is above the acceptable level according to the FDI/WHO goal for the year 2000. Percentage of caries-free schoolchildren was very low at all ages (11% of the total sample). The most significant need was for restorative treatment in the treatment deciduous dentition at all ages and in the permanent dentition from age 9.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It was concluded that the prevalence of dental caries among schoolchildren in Goiânia-GO is high, comparable to the situation in most Latin American countries and poor regions of developed countries. The results indicate the need for oral health education and preventive programs targeted at the underlying causes of the disease, in the population.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Odontologia Social, Faculdade de Odontologia, Universidade Federal de Goiás. Goiânia, Brasil. maria@public-health.ucl.ac.uk
authors.forename: M do C
authors.initials: Mdo C
authors.lastname: Freire
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Batista
authors.forename: M do R
authors.initials: Mdo R
authors.lastname: Borges
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Barbosa
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Rosa
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil; D002648:Child; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D003753:Dental Health Surveys; D019229:Dentition, Permanent; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012494:Sampling Studies; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous