Dental caries and first permanent molar pit and fissure morphology in 7- to 8-year-old children in Wuhan, China

Abstract

The high prevalence of dental cavities and tooth decay (caries) in primary-school-age children in China is cause for concern, research shows. Tooth decay is considered a socio-economic problem, worsening as a country becomes richer. Zhi Chen, Min-Quan Du, and co-workers at Wuhan University in China, together with a colleague at Radboud University in the Netherlands, have conducted the first longitudinal study of dental caries disease in 7–8 year olds in Wuhan of central China. The team found that 8.7% of the participants had caries in their new adult teeth. Some 98.2% of the children had plaque, of which 67.4% were classed as medium to severe cases. 84.6% of the examined newly erupted first molar have medium to deep pits and fissures, which also increased the cariogenic risk. The researchers have called for rapid health education and improved dental services in China, as well as the possible use of protective sealants on children's teeth.

Keywords

dental caries / oral epidemiology / plaque / tooth morphology

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