Longitudinal study of dental caries experience and pattern among a group of children in Baghdad

Abstract

The most dramatic increase in dental decay is thought to have occurred during the
last part of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries. The aim of this study was
to investigate the caries experience and pattern in primary and permanent teeth in a
longitudinal study. Dental caries of 166 kindergarten children of 4-5 years old was
recorded. Only 122 of the children were re-examined when their ages became 10-11.
The third examination of 118 children was done when their ages became 13-14.
Dental caries registration was done following the criteria of WHO (1987). Dental
prevalence was increased by age reaching 94.9 percent at 13-14 years old. No sex
differences were observed among the three examinations except in DMFT. The
DMFT incidence after 6 years was 4.3 and after 3 years was 1.8, while DMFS
incidence was 6.4 and 2.2 respectively. The D/d component was the highest mean
value. Although dental caries was significantly higher in posterior than in anterior
teeth, there were no jaw differences. Occlusal and proximal surfaces were the
predominate surfaces affected among permanent and primary teeth respectively.
Coinciding with the incline in caries experience observed among children, changes in
the distribution and progression rate of the disease have been found.