Abstract
An epidemiological analysis of dental caries prevalance of young permanent teeth was investigated in both Korea and Japan.
The subjects for the study consisted of 177 pupils in the 6th grade of primary school at Jeonju, Korea, and 217 pupils in the 6th grade of primary school in Fukuoka, Japan.
A Study of the occurance of dental caries was investigated using DMFS, cariostat and the questionnaires.
The results were as follows:
1) There were no significant differences between Korean and Japanese pupils with respect to dental caries and the Rohrer index.
2) There were significant differences between Korean and Japanese pupils concerning the DMFS index and the type of dental caries. The Japanese pupils in Fukuoka were characterized by multiple dental caries on the incisors.
3) Comparison between Korean pupils and Japanese pupils based on quantification type II indicated that the partial correlation coefficient of ‘the number of snacks per day’, ‘cariostat pH’, and ‘the types of snacks or beverages’ was higher in that order.
4) We analized those items of the questionnaires which were more related to an increase of dental caries based on quantification type I. As a result, the partial correlation coefficient of‘cariostat pH’, ‘the types of snacks or beverages’ and ‘the number of beverages per day’ was higher in that order in Fukuoka, Japan. Also in Jeonju, Korea, the partial correlation coefficient of ‘the types of snacks or beverages’ and ‘the number of snacks per day’ and ‘cariostat pH’ was higher in that order.
5) There was a significant difference between Korean pupils and Japanese pupils with respect to cariostat pH, and we found that the pupils in Fukuoka were more apt to suffer from dental caries than the pupils in Jeonju.
6) We grouped the pupils in Fukuoka according to the type of dental caries i. e. pupils with dental caries only in molars and pupils with dental caries in molars and incisors. We analized the two groups based on quantification type II. The partial correlation coefficient of ‘cariostat pH’ ‘the types of snacks or beverages per day’, and ‘the tooth brushing factor’ was higher in that order.
Therefore, for prevention of extensive dental caries to young permanent teeth for the pupils in Fukuoka, Japan, particular attention should be payed to the type of beverages consumed and the number of times a day they are consumed.
