Changes in epidemiologic pattern of dental caries in cohorts of schoolchildren in Espoo, Finland, during a 3-year period.

ABSTRACT

The purpose of the present study was to establish the distribution of need for treatment of dental caries and also to evaluate the changes in the distribution of DMFT scores in cohorts of schoolchildren aged 7-15 yr. There was a decrease in the proportion of children with high DMFT scores during the study period. The difference was most pronounced at the age of 13 yr. Polarization of the DMFT scores was most obvious at 10 yr, but was also seen at 13 yr. The proportion of patients at risk of caries differs from one age group to another.