title: Epidemiology of dental caries in Chandigarh school children and trends over the last 25 years.
abstract: The prevalence of dental caries in 6, 9, 12 and 15-year-old school children of Chandigarh, selected on a randomized basis was evaluated using Moller's criteria (1966) and correlated with the various risk factors. The mean deft was found to be 4.0 +/- 3.6 in 6 year old and 4.61 +/- 3.14 in 9 year old, whereas the mean DMFT in 12 and 15 year old was found to be 3.03 +/- 2.52 and 3.82 +/- 2.85 respectively. The high prevalence of dental caries in these children was attributed to the lack of use of fluoride toothpaste (80% children), lack of knowledge about etiology of dental caries (98%) and frequency of sugar exposures up to more than five times per day (30%).
authors.affiliation: Unit of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Oral Health Sciences Centre, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goyal
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gauba
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Chawla
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kapur
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002327:Cariostatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D003818:Dentition, Mixed; D019422:Dietary Sucrose / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D005260:Female; D005459:Fluorides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012923:Social Class; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous / Q000473:pathology; D014100:Toothpastes / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D002327:Cariostatic Agents; D019422:Dietary Sucrose; D014100:Toothpastes; D005459:Fluorides