Enamel hypoplasia and dental caries in Australian aboriginal children: prevalence and correlation between the two diseases

Abstract

This study investigated the prevalence of enamel hypoplasia and dental caries and the relationship between the two diseases in all 4- to 6-year-old Australian Aboriginal children of the Tiwi tribe on Bathurst Island. Seventy-nine of 80 children (99%) had enamel hypoplasia, with a mean of 12.0 +/- 4.1 hypoplastic teeth per child. Dental caries was noted in 66 (83%) of children and the mean number of decayed teeth per child was 3.9 +/- 3.3. A strong association between enamel hypoplasia and dental caries (P < 0.01) suggests that enamel hypoplasia may be a significant caries risk factor in this group. Furthermore, while high levels of medical morbidity were found, the relative importance of each medical condition in the pathogenesis of enamel hypoplasia could not be determined because nearly all patients with enamel hypoplasia had the full range of medical problems. It is likely that all the medical conditions commonly encountered contribute to enamel hypoplasia and may act synergistically.