[Prevalence of dental caries in 6-12-year-old schoolchildren in Leon, Nicaragua].
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of caries, deft and DMFT indices (sum of decay, messing, and filling tooth in primary and permanent dentition), and the Significant Caries Index (SiC) in scholars from Leon, Nicaragua.


METHODS
Dental data from a representative sample of 1,400 children were collected and analyzed in a cross-sectional study (year 2002). All subjects were clinically evaluated by one of two calibrated and standardized examiners.


RESULTS
28.6% children were caries free in both dentitions. Caries prevalence in primary teeth in 6-years-old children was 72.6% and 45.0% in permanent teeth in 12-years-old children. Mean deft and DMFT were 2.98 +/- 2.93 (n = 1,125) and 0.65 +/- 1.43 (n = 1,379), respectively. The SiC at 12 years of age was 4.12. Children with caries experience in primary teeth were more likely to have caries in permanent teeth (odds ratio = 2.48; 95% confidence interval, 1.66-3.79) than children without caries in primary teeth.


CONCLUSIONS
Low caries prevalence and experience were observed in the permanent dentition, with a substantial proportion of filled teeth. Such favorable finding was not observed in the primary dentition. Levels of caries failed to meet the oral health goal of FDI/WHO for the year 2000 in 6-years-old. However, the levels found in 12-year-olds had already met the goal for 2000. The present findings confirmed prior reports that the caries experience in primary teeth is associated with the experience of caries in permanent teeth.
Herrera
Míriam del Socorro
Mdel S
Facultad de Odontología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Nicaragua, León, Nicaragua.
Medina-Solis
Carlo Eduardo
CE
Maupomé
Gerardo
G
D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D019229:Dentition, Permanent; D006801:Humans; D009527:Nicaragua / Q000453:epidemiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous