Abstract
We have performed oral examination of kindergarten students in Shanghai since 1994. In this study, changes in the oral health status of children were evaluated by comparing the results of surveys in 1994 and 2004. In both years, the subjects were children aged 3-5 years. A total of 442 children (227 males and 215 females) were evaluated in 1994 and 185 children (100 males and 85 females) in 2004. Among the deciduous teeth, caries prevalence and the mean dft, dt, ft, and dfs/child were lower in 2004 than in 1994 in each age group and significantly lower in the groups aged 4 or 5 years.
The incidence of malocclusion was similar between 1994 and 2004, but the incidence of maxillary protraction alone slightly increased.
In the kindergartens investigated in the surveys, caries prevalence decreased due to improvement in oral hygiene education, showing improvement in the oral health state. Further surveys on malocclusion are necessary in association with oral habits, milk feeding methods and periods, and the home environment.
