Caries prevalence in 2 and 3 year old children of Adelaide, Australia.

Information on caries experience in Australian preschool children is scarcely available. The aim of present study was to determine caries prevalence in two and three year old children in Adelaide, Australia. A weighted random sample of 160 two and three old children was examined by one examiner (AHW) for caries experience. Most children (88.1%) had no clinical caries. Mean dmft (decayed, missing and filled teeth) score was 0.49 (+/- 1.7), with dt component of 0.39 (+/- 1.41), mt of 0.03 (+/- 0.39) and ft of 0.06 (+/- 0.6). The most susceptible tooth in children with clinical caries was maxillary central incisor (63.2%), while the least susceptible was mandibular central incisor (0%). The results have indicated that the percentage of two and three year old children with clinical caries was low in Adelaide Statistical District.