Oral health status of children and adults in the Republic of Niger, Africa

The present study was undertaken in order to describe the oral health status of children and adults in the Republic of Niger and to provide baseline data for the organisation and evaluation of systematic oral health promotion programmes in the country. The WHO pathfinder sampling procedures were applied to obtain representative samples of the following age groups: 6 years (n=373); 12 years (n=400); 18 years (n=300) and 35-44 years (n=400). Data were collected in 1997 according to the WHO methods, including information on dental caries and CPITN. In 6-year-olds, 56 per cent had caries and a mean score of 1.3 DMFT was observed among the 12-year-olds; the 35-44-year-olds had an average score of 5.7 DMFT. Differences in dental caries prevalence were found according to sex, province and urbanisation. Ninety-nine per cent of individuals at age 18, and 87 per cent at age 35-44 had maximum CPITN score 2 (calculus). Where 6- and 35-44-year-olds are concerned, the data may indicate increasing levels of dental caries. The implementation of primary prevention and community-based oral health education is therefore a matter of urgency.