Journal of Dental Research, Vol 68, 64-68, Copyright © 1989 by International & American Associations for Dental Research Online Journals
National survey of caries prevalence in 6-15-year-old children in France
P. M. Cahen, J. C. Turlot, R. M. Frank and A. M. Obry-Musset
Centre de Recherches (Unite mixte CNRS-INSERM), Faculte de Chirurgie Dentaire, Universite Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg, France.
The prevalence of dental caries in France is not known on a nationwide
basis, despite the fact that a number of epidemiological studies have been
conducted in various parts of the country. The aim of the present study was
to provide a national baseline examination of the dental health of children
in 1987 since, beginning in November, 1986, the sale of fluoridated salt
began in France. A multi-stage probability sample of 19,366 children was
selected as representative of the 6-to-15-year-old population. The sample
covered all the 95 departments of France. Teams of well-calibrated
examiners were constituted in each of the sixteen Faculties of Dental
Surgery of France. The prevalence of caries for each age group was
determined by means of DMFT, DMFS, dft, and dfs indices. Periodontal
conditions were assessed by means of the Plaque Index (Silness and Loe,
1964), the Calculus Index (Marthaler, 1966), and the Gingival Index (Loe
and Silness, 1963). Calculation of the mean DMFT index showed,
respectively, 0.5 and 1.0 new carious teeth per year under and over the age
of 11. The mean values of the DMFT index at ages 6, 12, and 15 were,
respectively, 0.5, 4.2, and 6.9. Under the age of 11, the mean DMFS index
increased by one between each successive age group and by nearly two over
the age of 11. The mean values of the DMFS index at ages 6, 12, and 15
were, respectively, 0.8, 7.6, and 13.0. The percentage of caries-free
children decreased from 32.2% at age 6 to 7.9% at age 15.
