Originals
Epidemiological investigation on dental caries prevalence of schoolchildren (6-11yrs.) in Northern parts of Japan, 1976.
1978 Volume 3 Issue 1 Pages 54-67
Details
1978 Volume 3 Issue 1 Pages 54-67
In 1976, epidemiologlcal investigatlons on dental caries prevalence were performed in 1888 schoolchildren aged 6-11 years in rural areas (five selected areas) of northern parts of Japan. Dental caries was recorded according to the criteria described by WHO (1971).
Among five areas surveyed in this study, investigations have also established that the fluoride contents of natural drinking water in Kitatsugaru areas are in the range of 0.3-3.2ppm and<0.1 ppm in other areas as reported in our previous reports.
The factors concerning on the caries prevarence due to localities also were evaluated in terms of percentage of children with DMF teeth, DMF per 100 erupted teeth, DMFT index, including percentage of decayed teeth,( ×100), of missing teeth (×100), of treated teeth (×100). These value as a criteria in localities were discussed on accunt of the evaluation for caries prevention progrum in each community.
As a criteria for caries experience, DMFT indices is useful to survey the trends of caries prevalence in schoolchildren (6-11yrs.). In this period, the trends are clearly represented, graphically, with regression lines relating ages to X and DMFT indices to Y axis and also it is useful to compare the differences in localities and the shift of the prevalence dependling the year of examinatlon.
Most of values on caries experience surveyed in this study in 1976, except the values in fluoride area (Kitatsugaru), were almost similar to that of the National survey in 1975 in this country.
It is evidence that differences in caries exprience due to localities were seen prominently in the percentages of treated teeth and missing teeth. However, it is not definite trends that higher percentage of treated teeth produces lower percentage of missing teeth in the locality. It is important task in the community dentistry that real caries prevention program should be based on as maintaining cariesfee teeth in individuals as possible.
