CARIES PREVALENCE AND TREATMENT NEED AMONGST CHILDREN IN AN ARABIAN COMMUNITY

A total of 1400 Saudi Arabian children in age groups 6-12 and 15 yr in private and public schools were examined for dental caries and treatment need in the cities of Jeddah ( < 0.30 ppm fluoride in drinking water), Rabagh (0.77 ppm F-) and Mecca (2.47 ppm F-). The mean dmft in 6-yr-olds in private schools in Jeddah was 2.9 compared with 6.3 in public schools (P < 0.001). The d component accounted for 65% of the total dmft in private schools and 76% in public schools in Jeddah. The mean dmft values in private and public schools in Rabagh were 1.5 and 2.8 respectively and 2.7 and 2.8 in Mecca; the d component accounted for approximately 65% in all groups. The figures for permanent teeth in 12- and 15-yr-olds show similar trends with caries levels being the highest in public schools in Jeddah; approximately 60% of the total DMFT was attributable to the D component in both school types in all three cities. Most of the treatment required in all three cities comprised one- or two-surface fillings. The need for treatment was significantly higher in public schools.