Caries prevalence in 6- to 15-year-old French children based on the 1987 and 1991 national surveys.

The caries prevalence in a multi-stage probability sample of 18,786 children representative of all French children 6-15 years of age was studied in 1991 and compared with the results of a similar survey made in 1987. A significant decline in dental caries in France became evident. This decline, observed in primary as well as in permanent teeth, was of variable magnitude among the different age groups. At the age of 6, 48.6% of the children were totally caries-free in 1991. At the age of 12, the DMFT and DMFS indices were 2.59 and 4.72, respectively, representing a corresponding decrease of 38% and 37%. In 1991, more caries-affected teeth or surfaces were filled, whereas fewer caries-affected teeth or surfaces were untreated. Females and children living in rural areas had a higher caries prevalence in both surveys. Pit-and-fissure lesions were the predominant caries types. Dental fluorosis was very uncommon; 96.1% of the 18,786 children examined in 1991 were totally free of any such lesions. Average plaque and calculus indices were similar in 1987 and in 1991, but a decrease of 25% was observed in the average gingival indices. Although the relative contributions of various preventive factors leading to this caries reduction are not clear, it should be noted that use of fluoridated salt (250 mg/kg KF) started in January, 1987. The sale of fluoridated dentifrices and the use of fluoride tablets and sugar substitutes increased during the period from 1987 to 1991.