Analysis of cumulative caries prevalence in primary molars.

Abstract

ABSTRACT Cumulative caries prevalences were estimated clinically in yearly cohorts of boys and girls, between 1 and 7 years of age, with at least 150 examinees in each cohort, and radiographically also from 4 years of age, in the occlusal, mesial, and distal surfaces of all four pairs of primary molars. Analysis of caries prevalence curves revealed best fit (based on least squares) with a transformed arc tan function with left end cut off, both for occlusal and for proximal surface caries. Compared with the exponential function, fit with the arc tan function was better in 19 out of a total of 24 comparisons. This difference was statistically significant in eight instances, but only in one instance of the reverse finding. By mathematical description of cumulative caries prevalence, no essential differences were revealed in the growth pattern of caries in occlusal and proximal surfaces of the primary molars. Implications of this finding are discussed.