Abstract
The prevalence of dental caries was studied in 521 rural Thai using the DMFT index. The oral habit of chewing betel nut was recorded. Samples of drinking water were examined for fluoride concentrations. Plaque material from 500 patients was examined qualitatively for S. mutans. The DMFT (dmft) index score was comparably high for patients under 10 yr of age (4.12); the difference between the DMFT (dmft) score of this age group and the other age groups was statistically significant. The average DMFT (dmft) score was 1.34 +/- 2.67. There was no relation between oral habits and caries prevalence. Fluoride concentrations of the water samples were between 0.11 and 1.64 ppmF- X 14.2% of 500 plaque samples were positive for S. mutans, predominantly of biotype I. The higher prevalence of caries in children may be attributable to changing patterns of life and nutrition.
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