Caries prevalence and tooth surface distribution in a group of 5-year-old Italian children.
OBJECTIVE
This was to investigate caries experience and patterns in a sample of 5-year-old children attending nursery schools in the Veneto Region (Italy).


METHODS
Cross sectional study.


METHODS
The study was carried out between September 2005 and May 2006 with 348 randomly selected 5-year-old children. Two calibrated dentists using an artificial light, a plane dental mirror and a dental probe performed clinical dental examination. World Health Organisation (WHO) diagnostic criteria for dental caries: dmft, dmfs and SiC indexes were used to measure the severity of the disease.


METHODS
dmfs scores were analysed either as a continuous continuous (calculating means and standard deviations) or as a categorical variable (providing proportions). Pearson's chi square test for comparison between groups and Wilcoxon signed-rank test for distribution of dmfs scores between pairs of contiguous molars were used.


RESULTS
The most commonly affected teeth were primary molars, (78% of the overall sample), especially in the mandible. The surfaces of molars most often affected were the occlusal (52%). Proximal surfaces were affected more in first than in second primary molars. Dental caries occurred most often in the maxilla. The frequency of caries in anterior teeth was low (12%).


CONCLUSIONS
Caries experience in the primary dentition showed a symmetrical distribution localized on primary molars, most often in their occlusal surface. Caries in anterior teeth was uncommon.
Ferro
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R
Dental Unit, Regional Centre for the Study, the Prevention and the Therapy of Dental Diseases of Veneto Region, Cittadella Hospital, Cittadella (PD), Italy. robferro@ulss15.pd.it
Besostri
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Olivieri
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D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D003733:Dental Caries Susceptibility; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008437:Maxilla; D008963:Molar / Q000473:pathology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous / Q000473:pathology*