BRISBANE DENTAL SURVEY, 1977 - COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF CARIES EXPERIENCE OF CHILDREN IN BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA OVER A 20-YEAR PERIOD

A dental survey of 1002 children aged 6, 8, 10, 12 and 14 years was carried out in Brisbane using criteria and methods of the World Health Organization. Mean DMFT per child were substantially lower than expected for a non-fluoridated area, being 0.7, 2.0, 3.1, 4.7 and 7.2 for the respective age groups. These scores represent a 50% reduction on levels reported in 1954 and a 20-35% reduction on caries experience of Queensland country children in 1967. 21% of the sample consumed fluoride tablets regularly and these had caries levels virtually identical with life-time residents of fluoridated areas. Compared with children never taking tablets they had 58-79% fewer dmft and 28-54% fewer DMFT. From data of a study of Townsville in 1975 after 10 years' fluoridation it can be calculated that there would be approximately 180 000 fewer restorations required in Brisbane if that city had been fluoridated 10 years previously.