Abstract
A dental health program comprising topical fluoride application, oral hygine instruction and various other educational procedures was conducted for the benefit of mothers and their 10 month old children.
The procedures were repeated at intervals of 4 months up to the 4th year of age. The following findings were obtained:
1. The most usual order and age of eruption of the deciduous teeth were found to be from earliest to latest; lower central incisor, upper central incisor, upper lateral incisor, lower lateral incisor, upper first molar (16.7 months of age), lower first molar (17.4 months), upper cuspid (18.2 months), lower cuspid (19.2 months), lower second molar (27.1 months), and upper second molar (30.2 months).
2. A specific pattern was recognized in the frequency and age of attacks of caries on the deciduous teeth; labial surfaces of the upper incisors (before 1 year 6 months of age), interproximal surfaces of the upper incisors (from 2 years 2 months of age to 3 years 2 months of age), occlusal surfaces of molars (from 2 years 10 months of age to 3 years 6 months of age) and interproximal surfaces of molars (after 3 years 6 months of age).
3. The caries incidence rates of children who participated in the dental health program were; 2.0% (1 year 2 months),5.5% (1 year 6 months),8.5% (1 year 10 months),14.1% (2 years 2 months),25.6% (2 years 6 months),37.4% (2 years 10 months),51.8% (3 years 2 months),61.3% (3 years 6 months) and 65.5% (4 years).
4. The number of def teeth and the results of the caries activity test (Cariostat) at 1 year 10 months of age correlated with the number of def teeth at 3 years 6 months or 4 years of age, suggesting that this information is useful for the prediction of future caries activity in 1 year old chirdren.
