Authors:	Weusmann, Jens Mahmoodi, Benjamin Azaripour, Adriano Kordsmeyer, Kristian Walter, Christian Willershausen, Brita
Title:	Epidemiological investigation of caries prevalence in first grade school children in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
Online publication date:	6-Oct-2022
Year of first publication:	2015
Language:	english
Abstract:	INTRODUCTION: The annual examination of first graders' oral health as stipulated by law aimed to reach every child in Rhineland-Palatinate (Germany) in their first year of school. We intended to evaluate the first graders' oral health based on the examination data for 2013/2014. METHODS: Instructed examiners measured the d3mft(deciduous)/D3MFT(permanent) index according to World Health Organization criteria in 25,020 predominantly 6-7 year-old first-grade school children. Only caries affecting dentin was diagnosed; no radiography or fiber-transillumination was used. Out of the d3mft value, the "Significant Caries Index" (SiC) was calculated. This index identifies the dmft score of the third of the population with the highest caries experience. Descriptive analysis was performed. RESULTS: Out of the the examined children, 60.9% were caries free. Mean d3mft score was 1.28 ± 2.27 while the mean SiC was 3.73 ± 2.51. A distinctly higher d3mft was found in the decidous molars compared to the front teeth. Boys were significantly more caries-experienced than girls (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The results of this study confirm the lasting trend towards decreasing caries prevalence in children starting school found in previous cross-sectional studies. This trend was observed in the high-risk group (obtained by SiC) as well as in the entire study population. Particular attention in caries prophylaxis should be paid to the primary molars.
DDC:	610 Medizin 610 Medical sciences
Institution:	Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
Department:	FB 04 Medizin
Place:	Mainz
ROR:	https://ror.org/023b0x485
DOI:	http://doi.org/10.25358/openscience-7866
Version:	Published version
Publication type:	Zeitschriftenaufsatz
License:	CC BY
Information on rights of use:	https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Journal:	Head & face medicine 11
Pages or article number:	Art. 33
Publisher:	BioMed Central
Publisher place:	London
Issue date:	2015
ISSN:	1746-160X
Publisher URL:	http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13005-015-0091-8
Publisher DOI:	10.1186/s13005-015-0091-8
Appears in collections:	DFG-OA-Publizieren (2012 - 2017)