title: Dental caries experience of Kuwaiti kindergarten schoolchildren.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to determine the caries free proportions, caries experience and restorative care received in Kuwaiti kindergarten schoolchildren. METHODS; A national epidemiologic survey of the 4- and 5-year-old kindergarten schoolchildren (n = 1,277) was conducted in the five govemorates of Kuwait. Five trained and calibrated dentists examined the children. Dental caries was scored using WHO diagnostic criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The percentage of 4- and 5-year-old children with dft = 0 was 32% and 24% respectively. The corresponding mean dft/dfs for 4- and 5-year-olds were 3.7/6.9 and 4.8/9.6. The decayed score was the major component in the mean scores. There was a significant difference in caries experience by governorate, but no difference by gender. The restorative index for 4- and 5-year-olds was 9.4% and 14.1% respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Caries levels are lower or similar to those in neighbouring and other Middle East countries. A high percentage of carious maxillary incisors indicate an early childhood caries pattern in these children. An extensive prevention programmme in preschool and kindergarten children is now in place.
authors.affiliation: National School Oral Health Program, Ministry of Health, Kuwait.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Al-Mutawa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shyama
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Al-Duwairi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Soparkar
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006267:Health Education, Dental; D006801:Humans; D007180:Incisor / Q000473:pathology; D007730:Kuwait / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008437:Maxilla; D015995:Prevalence; D012571:School Dentistry