THE PREVALENCE OF DENTAL CARIES IN PERMANENT DENTITION FOR 12 SCHOOL CHILDREN IN NORTHERN PALESTINE

Aim: To determine the prevalence of dental caries
among a representative sample of 12
children in Northern Palestine, and to evaluate the oral
health status of the Palestinian children.
Materials and Methods: 357 children were screened
for dental caries, missing teeth due to caries and existing
fillings. The screening was performed according to the
WHO method.
Results: 84% of the sample (300 children) had dental
caries as expressed with DMFT index mean whi
found to be 3.45, whereas the other 16% of the sample was
caries free. Girls had a higher mean DMFT score compared
with the boys: 3.94 vs. 3.04. The Care Experience Index
was very low: 6.7% (7.5% for males and 5.8% for females).
Conclusion: The results of this study provided evidence
that the oral health programs in the schools of Northern
Palestine need improvement and emphasis should be placed
on oral hygiene instructions and preventive dentistry.