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Caries experience in the primary dentition of Tanzanian and Finnish 3–7‐year‐old children
Author(s) -
Kerosuo Heidi,
Honkala Eino
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
community dentistry and oral epidemiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.061
H-Index - 101
eISSN - 1600-0528
pISSN - 0301-5661
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0528.1991.tb00166.x
Subject(s) - medicine , socioeconomic status , dentition , ethnic group , age groups , demography , dentistry , environmental health , population , sociology , anthropology
Abstract Caries experience of primary teeth in relation to age, sex, ethnic group, socioeconomic status and frequency of consuming sweet snacks and drinks was studied among groups of Tanzanian and Finnish 3–7‐yr‐olds, a total of 11 IK children. In all age groups the Tanzanian children had higher mean dmft scores than Finnish children did. In the Finnish group the mean dmft score was higher at age 7 than at age 3, while in the Tanzanian group no statistically significant difference in dmft scores was found between age groups. In both groups maxillary incisors and molars were the main teeth affected by caries. Frequent consumption of sweet snacks and drinks increased the risk for caries in Tanzanian but not in Finnish children. High socioeconomic status decreased the risk for caries in Finnish children but among Tanzanian children high SES was not associated significantly with the risk of developing caries. According to these results, caries experience in Tanzanian urban nursery school children was significantly higher than in Finnish children of the same age, the differences being especially high among the youngest age groups.