title: Trends in dental caries experience among children and adolescents in northern Poland between 1995 and 2003.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the oral health status of children and adolescents in the Gdansk region of Poland based on epidemiological examinations performed in 1995 and 2003.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sampling and examinations were performed according to WHO standards in children and adolescents aged 6, 7, 12 and 18. A sample of 180 children in each year and in each age group was selected. Their caries experience was recorded in terms of the mean dft/DMFT Index.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean dft/DMFT scores in some groups changed significantly in the period 1995 to 2003. The average DMFT score of all 12-year-olds declined from 4.32 in 1995 to 3.20 in 2003 and that of 18-year-olds from 7.74 to 6.66.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The notable improvement in dental health may be due to oral health education and the increased availability of fluoride toothpaste.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Dentistry, Medical University of Gdansk, Poland, ul. Orzeszkowej 18, 80-208 Gdansk, Poland. emerich@gumed.edu.pl
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Emerich
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Adamowicz-Klepalska
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002648:Child; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015588:Observer Variation; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011313:Preventive Dentistry / Q000639:trends