The prevalence of dental caries, plaque and gingivitis in 3-year-old Danish children.

Abstract

abstract – The purpose of the present study was to obtain an estimate of the prevalence of dental diseases in 3‐year‐old Danish children in areas with various fluoride concentrations in the drinking water. 449 children from one high‐fluoride area (1.1–1.5 ppm F) and three low‐fluoride areas (0.05–0.50 ppm F) were examined. The recording procedure allowed differentiation between initial carious lesions (“white spot”) and carious lesions with clinically detectable cavitation. Mean deft and defs were significantly lower in the high‐fluoride area than in any of the low‐fluoride areas when initial carious lesions (“white spot” were included in the calculations of the results. When only carious lesions reaching the stage of cavitation were included in the calculations, mean deft and defs were identical in the high‐fluoride area and two of the low‐fluoride areas. The third low‐fluoride area had significantly higher mean deft and defs than the high‐fluoride area. Differences in mean deft and defs were related to a low prevalence of carious lesions on smooth surfaces in the high‐fluoride area and a high prevalence of occlusal lesions in one of the low‐fluoride areas. The prevalence of plaque and gingivitis was higher than that reported in earlier studies. Approximately 25% of all gingival units showed bleeding after slight probing. No statistically significant differences in plaque accumulation or in the occurrence and severity of gingivitis were observed between the four groups of children. No cases of endemic dental fluorosis were found.