Caries prevalence in Switzerland.

The first Swiss studies of DMFT counts were undertaken in the late 1950s and showed values of 7.7-11.3 for children of 12 years of age and 12.6-18.6 for children of 15 years of age. Although these studies did not use current statistical sampling methods, and so are not directly comparable, the results of the most recent surveys do present a startling contrast. In 1992, DMFT figures had fallen to an average of 1.12 and 2.22 DMFT in 12- and 15-year-olds respectively. Reasons for these sharp declines are discussed, as are the available figures for adults over the same period of time. Predictions are made for DMFT levels for the year 2008 and their likely impact on dental services.