Caries prevalence and state of treatment in the case of Koblenz children in the first school class with reference to district-related social indicators

The findings of the dental medical examinations of the school years 1996/19 97 and 1997/1998 in the first classes of primary schools in Koblenz have be en associated with district-related social indicators given in the social r eport for Koblenz, and more especially the "proportion of recipients of soc ial welfare assistance among the 0-13 year-olds" indicator. The caries prev alence indices as well as the treatment deficits, the proportion of those n eeding treatment and the proportion of children with increased risk of cari es clearly increased parallel with the proportion of social welfare assista nce amongst the children although the greatest difference was seen in the c ase of districts with average social welfare assistance density and such wi th high/very high social welfare assistance density. Even at individual sch ool levels a close connection could be established between the proportion o f social welfare assistance recipients amongst the 0-13 year-olds in the sc hool district and a) the proportion of children with increased caries risk in accordance with DAJ (Deutsche Arbeitsgemeinschaft fur Jugendzahnpflege) criteria (r(s) = + 0.881) as well as b) a multifactorial "first school clas s dental health index" (EZI) (which covered both prevalence and treatment p arameters and also findings below the risk threshold of the DAJ criteria) d eveloped for comparing the schools with each other (r(s) = + 0.825). The si x "risk schools" (from 22 primary schools) determined by a) the proportion of children with increased caries risk according to DAJ criteria, b) the mu lti-factorial EZI and c) the social welfare assistance proportion amongst t he 0-13 year-olds. in the school district, are identical. In comparison wit h the complex multi-factorial first school class dental health index (EZI), the study confirms the general suitability of the "proportion of children with increased caries risk" for the identification of schools with above-av erage deficit in dental health care. However, at the same time such "risk s chools" at least in the towns with documented social differentiation of the resident population in the various town districts-can also be determined b y the district-related social indicators. This may be significant in such c ases where there are no dental examination results (determined according to uniform criteria) available for all schools in one town or region, but spe cific measures (for example examinations, prevention, fluoridation) should be concentrated on schools with greater need for such measures.