OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the dental caries status of 12-year-old children (born in 1998) in Sichuan province in 2010 and 2011, monitor the tendency of dental caries, and update available information and scientific basis for oral health care program. METHODS: The oral health of 733 twelve-year-old children was surveyed for two consecutive years according to the methods proposed by the World Health Organization. The children were selected using multi-stage, stratified, randomized sampling. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 17.0 software. RESULTS: Caries prevalence, DMFT, and DMFS in 12-year-old children were 34.8%, 0.93, and 1.09, respectively, and increased to 44.3%, 1.08, and 1.40 in the following year. The eruption of permanent teeth among females was higher than that of males (P < 0.05). The significant caries index was 2.54 in 2010 and 2.90 in 2011. F/D+F were 4.2% and 6.5% separately. Annual incidence of dental caries was 9.6%. CONCLUSION: Caries prevalence in the permanent teeth of 12-year-olds is high and worsens as the children age. Despite the high incidence of dental caries, the filling rate is low, hence the need for immediate preventive measures.
OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the dental caries status of 12-year-old children (born in 1998) in Sichuan province in 2010 and 2011, monitor the tendency of dental caries, and update available information and scientific basis for oral health care program. METHODS: The oral health of 733 twelve-year-old children was surveyed for two consecutive years according to the methods proposed by the World Health Organization. The children were selected using multi-stage, stratified, randomized sampling. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 17.0 software. RESULTS: Caries prevalence, DMFT, and DMFS in 12-year-old children were 34.8%, 0.93, and 1.09, respectively, and increased to 44.3%, 1.08, and 1.40 in the following year. The eruption of permanent teeth among females was higher than that of males (P < 0.05). The significant caries index was 2.54 in 2010 and 2.90 in 2011. F/D+F were 4.2% and 6.5% separately. Annual incidence of dental caries was 9.6%. CONCLUSION: Caries prevalence in the permanent teeth of 12-year-olds is high and worsens as the children age. Despite the high incidence of dental caries, the filling rate is low, hence the need for immediate preventive measures.