CARIES DEVELOPMENT IN CHILDREN FROM 2.5 TO 3.5 YEARS OF AGE - A LONGITUDINAL-STUDY

The development of dental caries from the age of 2.5 to 3.5 years was studied longitudinally in 692 children living in the southern suburbs of Stockholm. The parents answered a structured questionnaire concerni ng the family's social and immigrant background as well as the dietary habits, oral hygiene and fluoride exposure of their children. Further more, the occurrence of mutans streptococci and lactobacilli was deter mined in samples taken from the tongue of the children, and the buffer capacity of the saliva was measured. At baseline examination, 11.3% o f the children exhibited dental caries. At follow-up, 1 year later, de cayed and/or filled surfaces were registered in 36.7% of the subjects. The majority of the new lesions were located on the occlusal surfaces of the second molar. Ninety-two percent of the children with caries a t baseline developed new carious lesions during the 1-year period, com pared to 29% of the children who were caries-free at baseline (p < 0.0 01). Of the lesions diagnosed at baseline as initial caries, 64% progr essed to manifest lesions during the 1-year period. The study indicate s that children with early caries development exhibit high caries prog ression as well as a high risk for further development of an extensive number of new carious lesions.