Dental caries in a group of 15 to 16-year-olds from Göteborg. Part I.

301 adolescents aged 15 to 16 years (158 girls and 143 boys) were examined for caries under standardized conditions during the fall and spring terms of 1987/88. Clinical examinations, performed by two calibrated examiners were supplemented with posterior bite-wing radiographs which were assessed by one of the examiners. The mean DFT and DFS scores (incipient lesions included) were 9.8 and 19.4, respectively. The mean DFS score (dentin lesions+restorations) was 6.4. On average 1.9 surfaces had frank cavities or recurrent lesions and 13 surfaces had incipient lesions. Occlusal surfaces contributed 75%, approximal 21% and bucco-linqual 4% to the manifest component of the DFS score (4.8, 1.4 and 0.2 surfaces, respectively). 3% of the incipient lesions were found occlusally, 51% approximally and 46% bucco-linqually (0.4, 6.6 and 5.9 surfaces, respectively). Only 3% of the participants were completely free from caries, whereas 9% had no dentin lesions or restorations. 15% of the subjects with the highest caries prevalence averaged 15.8 dentin lesions or restorations. A tendency towards polarization of low and high caries prevalence groups was observed. Totally 91% of the individuals had occlusal caries, 82% approximal and 76% bucco-lingual, whereas dentin lesions or restorations had 88%, 42% and 14%, respectively.