Epidemiology of dental caries in the pediatric and adolescent population: a review of past and current trends.

作者：Hicks Mj, Catherine M Flaitz · 发表于：PubMed · 年份：1993 · 被引用次数：60 · 研究领域：Dental Health and Care Utilization、Oral microbiology and periodontitis research、Dental Trauma and Treatments

Dental caries in the pediatric and adolescent population has continued to decline significantly over the past two decades, with approximately 50% of US schoolchildren considered to be caries-free. However, by the age of 17 years, only 15% of these young adults have not experienced caries. Over 85% of the lesions in the permanent dentition involve surfaces with pits and fissures, despite the availability of preventive measures such as sealants. Of particular interest is the fact that 17% of children and adolescents account for 67% of the total caries experience. This distribution of dental caries demonstrates the need for a reliable screening method to determine those individuals at high-risk for caries development. The identification of these caries susceptible children and adolescents, and the development of innovative, caries-preventive protocols are necessary for further improvement in the oral health status of the pediatric age group and creation of a caries-free population.