Approximal caries progression in 13- to 15-year-old Danish children.

A total of 278 children aged 13 years in 1980, who lived in an area where preventive programs and professional attitudes towards restorative treatment had changed over a 10-year period, were dentally examined in 1980, 1981, and 1982. Different preventive treatments were given to the children, to decrease the variation in dental caries. The development of new lesions and the rate of progression of existing lesions were studied by means of bitewing radiographs. Ninety-four per cent of the surfaces remained unchanged. Of the surfaces diagnosed as carious at 13 years of age no progression had occurred in 63%, and 86% of enamel lesions remained within the enamel. Although caries progression was slow in this population, the variation in dental caries was only slightly altered.