Caries prevalence and tooth surface distribution in a group of 5-year-old Italian children.

Aim: This was to investigate caries experience and patterns in a sample of 5-year-old children attending nursery schools in the Veneto Region (Italy).

Study Design: Cross sectional study.

Methods: The study was carried out between September 2005 and May 2006 with 348 randomly selected 5-year-old children. Two calibrated dentists using an artificial light, a plane dental mirror and a dental probe performed clinical dental examination. World Health Organisation (WHO) diagnostic criteria for dental caries: dmft, dmfs and SiC indexes were used to measure the severity of the disease.

Statistics: dmfs scores were analysed either as a continuous continuous (calculating means and standard deviations) or as a categorical variable (providing proportions). Pearson's chi square test for comparison between groups and Wilcoxon signed-rank test for distribution of dmfs scores between pairs of contiguous molars were used.

Results: The most commonly affected teeth were primary molars, (78% of the overall sample), especially in the mandible. The surfaces of molars most often affected were the occlusal (52%). Proximal surfaces were affected more in first than in second primary molars. Dental caries occurred most often in the maxilla. The frequency of caries in anterior teeth was low (12%).

Conclusions: Caries experience in the primary dentition showed a symmetrical distribution localized on primary molars, most often in their occlusal surface. Caries in anterior teeth was uncommon.