IMPACT OF DIAGNOSTIC-CRITERIA ON THE PREVALENCE OF DENTAL-CARIES IN NORWEGIAN CHILDREN AGED 5, 12 AND 18 YEARS

The study aimed to investigate caries prevalence in children using a s everity grading diagnostic system, and to evaluate the influence of di fferent diagnostic thresholds on the caries data. A group of 513 child ren, aged 5, 12 and 18 years, were examined clinically, and with avail able bitewing radiographs, by four calibrated examiners. The inter-and intra-examiner reliability, assessed by a weighted kappa, varied betw een 0.80 and 0.95. The mean dmft/DMFT values were 3.8, 5.8 and 11.0 fo r the three age groups respectively and the corresponding dmfs/DMFS va lues were 5.4, 9.9 and 22.6. The d/D-component constituted the major p art of the dmf/DMF index in all age groups, and enamel lesions account ed for 59%, 89% and 86% of the d/D-component in the three age groups r espectively. It is concluded that enamel or initial caries lesions con tributed substantially to the total caries prevalence, illustrating th e importance of using diagnostic criteria that include all stages of c linical caries if a total picture of the caries situation is needed.