The aim of this study was to detect the status of increasing dental caries of school children in Chinhae during the period of an interruption in water fluoridation between March 1992 and September 1997. The dental caries survey was carried out by a dentist from 1992 to 1997 among three primary school children in Chinhae and two primary school children in Masan, Korea. The survey started when subjects were 6 years old. We followed up examinations for six years. The total subjects of Chinhae were 805 at the beginning of this study in 1992 and decreased to 495 by the end of this study in 1997. The caries prevalence on permanent teeth of children in Chinhae were assessed and compared to the caries prevalence in Masan.
The obtained results were follows:
1. The rates of children who experienced caries on permanent teeth increased from 16. 1%(age 6) to 84.6%(age 11) in Chinhae. Females had much higher caries prevalence than males in permanent teeth at every age.
2. For six years, substantial increases were seen in dental caries among children in Chinhae. DMFT scores were 0.29 at aged 6, 1.52 at aged 8, 2.58 at aged 9, 3.16 at aged 10 and 4.40 at aged 11. Females´ DMFT scores were higher than males´ DMFT scores at all ages. DMFS scores were 0.41 at aged 6, 2.32 at aged 8, 3.96 at aged 9, 4.93 at aged 10 and 6.94 at aged. Females´ DMFS scores were higher than males´ DMFS scores at all ages.
3. The percentage of dental caries on pits and fissures among DMFS scores in Chinhae were over 90% at all ages.
4.. The percents of Decayed Teeth among Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth in Chinhae were 87.5% at aged 6 and 77.8% at aged 11. The percents of Filled teeth among Decayed, Missing, and Filled teeth
were 12, 5% at aged 6 and 22,1% at aged 11.
5. The most caries susceptible teeth among children in Chinhae were first molars. The percentage of sound lirsi molar rapidly decreased from aged 6 to aged 11. Sound upper first molar decreased from 93.0%(age 6)´() 38.3%(age 11). Sound lower first molar decreased from 87.5%(age 6) to 24.9%(age 11).
6. Overall DMFS scores of only 8-year old children in Chinhae were significantly lower than DMFS scores 01´8-year old children in Masan where water fluoridation had not been implemented.
7. The resumed water fluoridation programme should be implemented without an interruption to prevent dental caries of school children.
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