Comparison of two indices of caries patterns in 3-6 year old Brazilian children from areas with different fluoridation histories.
The purpose of this study was to define the pattern of caries in 3-6 year old children from two districts in Araraquara, SP, Brazil, fluoridated for more than 10 years and from a much more recently fluoridated one in the same city, using two different indices. The study included 1,066 children (903 from the two first districts and 163 from the third). Patterns of disease were described in terms of prevalence and dmft in molars, incisors (and/or canines) individually and together. Pattern was also described according to the 'caries analysis system'. In both areas the majority of 3-4 year olds had disease confined to primary molars. In the areas fluoridated for more than 10 years, the highest proportion of 5-6 year olds with caries also had the disease confined to primary molars (36 per cent) but in the more recently fluoridated area, similar proportions of children had caries in primary molars alone as had caries in both primary molars and incisors (40 per cent and 44 per cent, respectively). Results according to the 'caries analysis system' showed that in both areas the prevalence of fissure caries and posterior bucco-lingual surface pattern in 5-6 year olds were twice as great as those observed in 3-4 year olds. Differences between the areas were obvious whichever method was used to define pattern, confirming the benefits of water fluoridation. The simpler method of grouping tooth type affected showed the differences as effectively as the more complex 'caries analysis system'.
Department of Transcultural Oral Health, Eastman Dental Institute, London, UK.
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Dini
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Holt
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Bedi
D000367:Age Factors; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002327:Cariostatic Agents / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003481:Cuspid / Q000473:pathology; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003750:Dental Fissures / Q000453:epidemiology; D005457:Fluoridation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005459:Fluorides / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007180:Incisor / Q000473:pathology; D008963:Molar / Q000473:pathology; D015995:Prevalence; D013997:Time Factors; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous / Q000473:pathology; D014881:Water Supply / Q000032:analysis
D002327:Cariostatic Agents; D005459:Fluorides