title: Comparative study of the polarization of dental caries in 7-, 12- and 14-year-old children from Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  As a result of the anticaries prevention programs the percentage of persons with high level of DMFT decreases and the percentage of persons free of caries increases. This demands the formulation of a new approach in determining the strategies and priorities of the preventive programs and the amount of the needed dental services.
  
  
  METHODS
  A clinico-statistical study of dental caries comprising 600 children of 7, 12 and 14 years of age (300 boys and 300 girls) from Plovdiv was carried out in 1997. The diagnosis of dental caries was visual-tactile. In every age group the percentages of persons with different levels of DMFT were determined. The findings were compared with the results gathered in 1992.
  
  
  RESULTS
  It was found that with age the percentage of persons free of caries decreased and the percentage of the persons with high level of DMFT increased. In 1992 15.07% of 12-year-old children were carriers of 59.26% of the total number of DMFT, while in 1997 10.00% were carriers of 25.75% of the total number DMFT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The most pronounced polarization of dental caries was found in the 7-year-old children group. In Plovdiv the polarization of dental caries in the 12-year-old children group was less pronounced in 1997 than in 1992.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Higher Medical Institute, Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kukleva
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kondeva
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002031:Bulgaria / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male