Dental caries rates in primary teeth in 2002, and caries surveillance trends 1981-2002, in a South African city.
OBJECTIVE
To determine trends in the prevalence and severity of dental caries in 2- to 5-year-old children.


METHODS
Repeated cross-sectional surveys in 1981, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1994, 1997 and 2002.


METHODS
Nursery schools in Germiston, South Africa.


METHODS
Dental caries was diagnosed by calibrated examiners using WHO criteria in 7,185 2- to 5-year-old children whose parents had given informed consent.


METHODS
Caries prevalence (%), caries experience (dmft).


RESULTS
Both caries prevalence and experience showed statistically significant (p < 0.001) fluctuations between study years from 1981 to 2002. A worry is an increase in rates between 1997 and 2002.


CONCLUSIONS
There is a suggestion of a cyclical pattern to the caries rates observed.
Cleaton-Jones
P
P
Dental Research Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. peter.cleaton-jones@wits.ac.za
Williams
S
S
Green
C
C
Fatti
P
P
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004813:Epidemiology / Q000639:trends; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous