Dental Caries in High-risk, School-age African American Children in Alabama: A Six-year Prospective

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence and incidence of dental caries in school-age African American children who received semi-annual fluoride varnish applications.

Methods: A cohort of six-year-old high caries-risk African American children (n equals 98) was recruited in Uniontown, Ala., USA, and followed for six years. Oral examinations were done annually by three trained/calibrated dentists. Tooth surfaces with cavitated caries, teeth missing due to caries, and teeth with filled surfaces were recorded using World Health Organization criteria. Also, as part of the study, children received periodic oral health instruction, fluoride varnish applications, and referrals to dentists starting at baseline.

Results: The person-level prevalence of decayed, missing, and filled surfaces of primary and permanent teeth (dmfs/DMFS) was: 61.2 percent at mean age of 5.9 years old (n equals 98, mean dmfs/DMFS equals 11.6); 63.8 percent at 6.7 years old (n equals 80, mean dmfs/ DMFS equals 13.2); 70.6 percent at 7.8 years old (n equals 68, mean dmfs/DMFS equals 14.2); 65.7 percent at 8.8 years old (n equals 68, mean dmfs/DMFS equals 11.8); 55.6 percent at 9.7 years old (n equals 63, mean dmfs/DMFS equals 8.8); 40.3 percent at 10.7 years old (n equals 62, mean dmfs/DMFS equals 3.4); and 37.1 percent at 11.7 years old (n equals 62, mean dmfs/DMFS equals 2.3). The six-year person-level incidence of dmfs/DMFS was 32.3 percent (mean dmfs/DMFS equals 1.6) from 5.9 to 11.7 years old (<small>N</small> equals 62).

Conclusions: In spite of the oral health education and fluoride varnish applications, there was substantial new dental caries in this high-risk sample. Additional studies evaluating risk factors for caries development are ongoing.

Figure 1

Prevalence and extent of dental caries experience in all study examination visits