Prevalence and Intensity of Dental Caries and its Complications in Children
Keywords:
dental caries, children, prevalence, intensity, DMFT index, oral hygiene, complications of caries, fluorosis, preventionAbstract
Dental caries remains the most common disease of humankind, and its prevalence and intensity among children show no tendency to decline. The aim of this study was to analyse and summarise published epidemiological data on the prevalence and intensity of caries and its complications in children, with particular attention to the WHO key age groups of 12 and 15 years. An analytical review of domestic and foreign epidemiological studies was carried out using the methods of comparative analysis, generalisation and systematisation. The analysis showed that the prevalence of caries of permanent teeth ranges from 46% to 92.3% at the age of 12 and from 61% to 93.5% at the age of 15, with DMFT values of 1.66–7.19 and 1.95–5.81, respectively. In the structure of the DMFT index, the decayed component predominates, indicating a high unmet need for treatment. Up to 79% of children have unsatisfactory oral hygiene, and in areas endemic for fluorosis its prevalence reaches 100%. These findings justify the need to study the causes of caries and to introduce effective school-based and community preventive programmes.
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