Caries prevalence and distribution in individuals aged 3-20 years in Jönköping, Sweden, over a 30-year period (1973-2003).
BACKGROUND
Oral health status of individuals aged 3-80 years in the city of Jönköping, Sweden, has been assessed in a series of epidemiological studies over a 30-year period.


OBJECTIVE
To analyse the changes in caries prevalence and caries distribution in child population sample groups, based on studies performed in 1973, 1978, 1983, 1993, and 2003.


METHODS
Each time point included 500 randomly sampled individuals, divided into age groups of 3, 5, 10, 15, and 20 years. Results. Thirty-five per cent of 3-year-olds were caries free in 1973, compared with 69% 30 years later. Decayed and filled primary (dfs) and permanent surfaces (DFS) were reduced by 50-80% between 1973 and 2003. Adolescents aged 10 and 15 years exhibited the most pronounced reduction in DFS on the occlusal surfaces. By 2003, 90% of the proximal carious lesions in 15-year-olds were initial carious lesions. In 2003, about 60% of 15-year-olds had a DFS of < or = 5, while about 7% exhibited a DFS of > or = 26.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite the dramatic decline in the prevalence of caries, caries remains a health problem among children, particularly those of preschool age. Continuous epidemiological studies are recommended to evaluate preventive measures.
Hugoson
Anders
A
Department of Natural Science and Biomedicine, School of Health Sciences, Jönköping University, Jönköping, Sweden. anders.hugoson@hhj.hj.se
Koch
Göran
G
Helkimo
Anna Nydell
AN
Lundin
Sven-Ake
SA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011859:Radiography; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology