title: Dental caries among children in Georgia by age, gender, residence location and ethnic group.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To provide prevalence data for dental caries in Georgia.
  
  
  METHODS
  This World Health Organization pathfinder survey was conducted among 1,351 (6, 12 and 15 year-old) Georgian children, representing the main ethnic groups in urban and rural locations. Caries was analysed at univariate and multivariate levels, according to age, gender, urban/rural locality and ethnic group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Caries experience levels among 6-year-olds were dmft = 4.57, sd 3.42 (14.8% caries-free); DMFT = 2.04 (sd 2.02) among 12-year-olds (31.1% caries-free); and DMFT = 3.51 (sd 3.14) for the 15-year-olds (17.7% caries-free). Urban children at ages 6 and 12 years were more likely to be caries-free and have both lower levels of caries-experience and higher levels of filled or restored teeth. In multivariate regression analyses, most age groups showed a significant contribution from residence location. No differences were found by age and no consistent differences were detected by ethnic group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data should provide the baseline for formulating and conducting public oral health efforts in Georgia, with emphases on rural residence locations.
authors.forename: H D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Sgan-Cohen
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Margvelashvili
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bilder
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kalandadze
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gordon
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Margvelashvili
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zini
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001136:Armenia / Q000208:ethnology; D001382:Azerbaijan / Q000208:ethnology; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005846:Georgia (Republic) / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012423:Rural Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012737:Sex Factors; D014081:Tooth Extraction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014504:Urban Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data