title: Prevalence of dental caries in 12-13-year-old Jordanian students.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine the caries experience of 12-13-year-old 6th grade students in Jordan. A total of 694 students were selected randomly from a list of schools teaching 6th grade students in Irbid, Jordan. The data were collected by interview and clinical examination performed by two examiners. Dental examinations were done by using dental mirrors and probes under artificial light in classrooms and the diagnosis of dental caries was made by the criteria recommended by the World Health Organisation (1987). On average students had 24.4 sound teeth, 2.3 decayed teeth (D), 0.05 missing teeth (M) and 0.16 filled teeth (F). The mean DMFT index was 2.51. The D represents 92% of the DMF cases. Of the students examined 188 were caries free (27.1%). Of the 19,432 permanent teeth examined the highest frequency of dental caries (61%) and fillings (77%) was found in first molars, and these were the most commonly missing teeth (67%). Second molars and second premolars had the second and third highest frequencies respectively, whereas incisors and canines were the least affected teeth (< 2%).
authors.affiliation: Department of Restorative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Jordan University of Science and Technology, PO Box 3030, Irbid 22110, Jordan.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Albashaireh
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: al-Hadi Hamasha
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001641:Bicuspid / Q000473:pathology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D003481:Cuspid / Q000473:pathology; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007180:Incisor / Q000473:pathology; D007597:Jordan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008963:Molar / Q000473:pathology; D015995:Prevalence; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D016388:Tooth Loss / Q000453:epidemiology