Caries prevalence and tooth surface distribution in a group of 5-year-old Italian children.

AIM: This was to investigate caries experience and patterns in a sample of 5-year-old children attending nursery schools in the Veneto Region (Italy).

STUDY

DESIGN

Cross sectional study.

METHODS

The study was carried out between September 2005 and May 2006 with 348 randomly selected 5-year-old children. Two calibrated dentists using an artificial light, a plane dental mirror and a dental probe performed clinical dental examination. World Health Organisation (WHO) diagnostic criteria for dental caries: dmft, dmfs and SiC indexes were used to measure the severity of the disease.

STATISTICS: dmfs scores were analysed either as a continuous continuous (calculating means and standard deviations) or as a categorical variable (providing proportions). Pearson's chi square test for comparison between groups and Wilcoxon signed-rank test for distribution of dmfs scores between pairs of contiguous molars were used.

RESULTS

The most commonly affected teeth were primary molars, (78% of the overall sample), especially in the mandible. The surfaces of molars most often affected were the occlusal (52%). Proximal surfaces were affected more in first than in second primary molars. Dental caries occurred most often in the maxilla. The frequency of caries in anterior teeth was low (12%).

CONCLUSIONS

Caries experience in the primary dentition showed a symmetrical distribution localized on primary molars, most often in their occlusal surface. Caries in anterior teeth was uncommon.