Prevalence of dental caries and treatment needs in 6 to 12 year-old schoolchildren at public schools

Objective To assess dental caries prevalence and treatment needs of schoolc hildren in the State of Goias, Brazil. Methods The study population consisted of 6-12-year-old schoolchildren (n = 1,419), male and female, attending 25 public schools located in the urban area of 9 provincial cities in the Scare of Goias. Results Percentage of caries-free schoolchildren was very low at all ages ( 4.4% at age 12). Mean DMF-T ranged from 0.41 at age 6 to 5.19 at age 12. Me an dmf-t in this age group ranged from 4.93 to 0.29. Treatment needs rr ere higher than the proportion of treated teeth in both deciduous and permanen t dentition. Conclusion The high prevalence of dental caries found in schoolchildren in the provincial cities of Goias suggests the need for oral health education and preventive programs targeted at the underlying causes of the disease on a population level.