Comparative study of the incidence and prevalence of dental caries in 12-year old children from Plovdiv.
BACKGROUND
The necessity of refreshing the data determines the purpose of the present study--to study the incidence and prevalence of dental caries in 1997 and to compare the results with the results of previous studies.


METHODS
The study of dental caries is clinico-statistical and comprises 200 12-year-old children from Plovdiv. The sample selection is random. The diagnosis of dental caries is visual-tactile. The incidence (DMFT) and prevalence of dental caries is determined by person (Ep). The results are compared with the results of studies of children of the same age group carried out in 1981, 1989, 1992.


RESULTS
The incidence of caries in 12-year old children from Plovdiv is 3.03 and the prevalence rate by persons is 80.0%. Comparing the results with previous studies shows a trend of steadily decreasing values with 1992 exhibiting the lowest levels of these indicators. A trend of increasing DMFT and Ep between 1992 and 1997 is observed.


CONCLUSIONS
The trends of incidence and Ep in 12-year old children in Plovdiv show the favorable effect of the preventive programs till 1992 and the necessity of undertaking urgent measures for overcoming the unfavorable trends set in the last years.
Kukleva
M
M
Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Higher Medical Institute, Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
Kondeva
V
V
D002031:Bulgaria / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D015995:Prevalence