Research Article
Lena Natapov, Moshe Gordon, Va
Abstract
Aim: To evaluate caries prevalence and treatment needs of Israeli five-year-old children cared for by the School Dental Service by gender, ethnic group, and water fluoridation status. Methods: As part of the School Dental Service programme, pre-school children were examined at kindergartens by calibrated examiners according to World Health Organization Oral Health Survey methods. dmft scores were calculated and statistically tested for correlations with gender, ethnic group and water fluoridation status. Results: Twenty-eight local authorities (14 Jewish and 14 Arab) participated in the survey. Of the 1647 five-year-olds surveyed, 35.3% were caries-free. The mean dmft±s.d of the study population was 3.31±3.7, dt=2.71±3.48, mt=0.11±0.61, ft=0.49±1.41. Boys had a slightly higher level of caries experience: dmft=3.51±3.83; d=2.89±3.63; m=0.13±0.78; f=0.49±1.45 versus girls: dmft=3.12±3.54; d=2.55±3.33; m=0.08±0.39; f=0.49±1.38. The differences in caries experience by gender were not statistically significant. Arab children had lower percentage of cariesfree teeth, higher dt, mt and dmft (14.9%, 4.85±3.83, 0.14±0.58, and 4.38±3.83, respectively), but lower ft=0.33±1.14) than Jewish children who were 49.9% caries-free, 2.21±3.15, 1.53 ±2.66, 0.08±0.63 and 0.6±1.57, respectively. Caries prevalence in local authorities with fluoridated water (0.7 ppm of fluoride in drinking water in previous five years) was significantly lower (42% were caries-free and dmft=2.79±3.49). Conclusions: Dental caries was very prevalent among the five-year-old Israeli children examined in this survey. Most of the disease had not been treated. The findings of the survey emphasise the need to treat the affected teeth among school children and to widen the School Dental Service to the whole country. This problem has now been addressed by the government and from 2010 onward children will be eligible for dental care under the National Insurance Law. The findings of the survey emphasise the importance of early intervention by national preventive community dental services for children from birth, targeting pregnant women, infants and their families. Further investigation is indicated to understand the reason for the disturbing difference between the sectors, whether it is economical, social, cultural, or because of different levels of dental awareness.