GEOGRAPHIC VARIATIONS OF DENTAL CARIES IN OREGON

II. DENTAL CARIES AMONG INSTITUTIONALIZED CHILDREN AND THE POSSIBLE INFLUENCE OF CERTAIN ECOLOGICAL FACTORS ON ITS INCIDENCE

¹ Department of Foods and Nutrition, School of Home Economics, Oregon State College, Corvallis, Ore.

A dental examination by means of mouth mirror and explorers was conducted among 163 children between the ages 6 to 16 years, inclusive, residing in an institution known as the Children's Farm Home of Oregon.

Their dental caries attack rates were found to be considerably lower in comparison with those of school children of the same age groups examined in four counties of the State of Oregon.

The fluorine content of the water supply used at the institution was determined and found to be 0.3 parts per million.

An investigation of the over-all food intake of the children while in residence at the institution revealed that their diets were nutritionally adequate. Moreover, certain reasons seem to indicate that the use of refined sugars and concentrated sweets was not "excessive."

A comparatively low incidence of caries was observed among the subjects of the study and, since these subjects had an optimum diet and a restriction in the intake of refined sugars and sweets, generally, it may have been due to either or both of the factors in combination. However, the authors believe it was brought about by a combination of both factors.