Changes in the caries experience of 12-year-old Sydney schoolchildren between 1963 and 1982.

A study of the caries experience of 12-year-old children attending public high schools in the northern suburbs of Sydney was undertaken in 1982. The data obtained were compared with those from a similar study conducted in the same area in 1963. In the period between the two examinations, Sydney's water supply was fluoridated and fluoride toothpastes became widely available. There was a major improvement in dental health in the 19-year interval between the surveys. The mean number of decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) per child declined from 8.49 in 1963 to 1.37 in 1982, a reduction of 84%. An analysis of the DMFT index showed that the greatest reductions occurred in the decayed tooth (DT), and missing tooth (MT) components (95% and 94%, respectively). In 1982, in contrast to the situation in 1963, the backlog of unmet restorative dentistry needs was low.