R Ferro1, A Besostri, A Olivieri. 1. Dental Unit, Regional Centre for the Study, the Prevention and the Therapy of Dental Diseases of Veneto Region, Cittadella Hospital, Cittadella (PD), Italy. robferro@ulss15.pd.it
Abstract
AIM: This was to investigate caries experience and patterns in a sample of 5-year-old children attending nursery schools in the Veneto Region (Italy). STUDY DESIGN: Cross sectional study. METHODS: The study was carried out between September 2005 and May 2006 with 348 randomly selected 5-year-old children. Two calibrated dentists using an artificial light, a plane dental mirror and a dental probe performed clinical dental examination. World Health Organisation (WHO) diagnostic criteria for dental caries: dmft, dmfs and SiC indexes were used to measure the severity of the disease. STATISTICS: dmfs scores were analysed either as a continuous continuous (calculating means and standard deviations) or as a categorical variable (providing proportions). Pearson's chi square test for comparison between groups and Wilcoxon signed-rank test for distribution of dmfs scores between pairs of contiguous molars were used. RESULTS: The most commonly affected teeth were primary molars, (78% of the overall sample), especially in the mandible. The surfaces of molars most often affected were the occlusal (52%). Proximal surfaces were affected more in first than in second primary molars. Dental caries occurred most often in the maxilla. The frequency of caries in anterior teeth was low (12%). CONCLUSIONS: Caries experience in the primary dentition showed a symmetrical distribution localized on primary molars, most often in their occlusal surface. Caries in anterior teeth was uncommon.
AIM: This was to investigate caries experience and patterns in a sample of 5-year-old children attending nursery schools in the Veneto Region (Italy). STUDY DESIGN: Cross sectional study. METHODS: The study was carried out between September 2005 and May 2006 with 348 randomly selected 5-year-old children. Two calibrated dentists using an artificial light, a plane dental mirror and a dental probe performed clinical dental examination. World Health Organisation (WHO) diagnostic criteria for dental caries: dmft, dmfs and SiC indexes were used to measure the severity of the disease. STATISTICS: dmfs scores were analysed either as a continuous continuous (calculating means and standard deviations) or as a categorical variable (providing proportions). Pearson's chi square test for comparison between groups and Wilcoxon signed-rank test for distribution of dmfs scores between pairs of contiguous molars were used. RESULTS: The most commonly affected teeth were primary molars, (78% of the overall sample), especially in the mandible. The surfaces of molars most often affected were the occlusal (52%). Proximal surfaces were affected more in first than in second primary molars. Dental caries occurred most often in the maxilla. The frequency of caries in anterior teeth was low (12%). CONCLUSIONS: Caries experience in the primary dentition showed a symmetrical distribution localized on primary molars, most often in their occlusal surface. Caries in anterior teeth was uncommon.
Authors: Walter J Psoter; Heping Zhang; David G Pendrys; Douglas E Morse; Susan T Mayne Journal: Community Dent Oral Epidemiol Date: 2003-06 Impact factor: 3.383