Distribution of caries in 12-year-old children in Sweden. Social and oral health related behavioural patterns.

Objective To describe the distribution of caries in 12-year-old children in Sweden according to socio-demographic and oral health related behaviour. P articipants The study group consisted of 3,373 12-year-old children residin g in catchments of 26 different public dental health clinics in Sweden, geo graphically well represented. Method The clinical examination for dental ca ries was performed by 28 calibrated dentists. A questionnaire on lifestyle was distributed to the children with questions on ethnicity, socio-economic level and oral health as well as overall health attitudes. Results The pro portion of 12-year-old children with no experience of dentine caries was 47 % and 35% were completely free from all caries. Intraoral distribution of c aries showed most lesions on the first molar mesial surface, with 80% ename l and 20% dentine caries. Almost all children brushed their teeth twice a d ay and a third of the children had an extra intake of fluoride. Decayed sur faces including enamel caries (DcS) was chosen as a measure of ongoing cari es and used when dividing children into three caries groups; caries free (5 0%), 1-3 lesions (40%) and the high caries group (10%) with more than 3 les ions. These groups showed distribution differences. More non-Swedish childr en, children from workers' homes, and children who brushed their teeth less than twice a day were found in the high caries group. More children from w orkers' homes living in big cities and snacking more than once a week were also found in the high caries group. This could not be shown for other soci al groups. Also children who had an extra intake of fluoride were classifie d in the high caries group.