Oral health survey of the child population in the Valencia Region of Spain (2004).

UNLABELLED INTRODUCTION (BASIS AND OBJECTIVES): The objectives of this study were to study the evolution of child oral health in the Valencia Region and establish a six-year interval for these surveys, at a time of major demographic changes associated with immigration into the region. MATERIALS AND METHODS A cross sectional study was conducted in a random sample of 509 children aged 6 years, 478 aged 12 years and 401 aged 15-16 years. The clinical examinations were performed by calibrated dentists (Kappa > 0.85). RESULTS Caries prevalence was 32% at 6 years of age (dft=1.08) in primary dentition and 42.5% at 12 years (DMFT=1.07) and 55.9% at 15-16 years (DMFT=1.84) in permanent dentition. Caries levels in immigrant children were significantly high. The mean numbers of sextants with bleeding were 0.16, 1.58 and 1.10 while the scores for sextants with calculus were 0.15, 0.76 and 0.88, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Caries levels in both primary and permanent dentition have remained stable at 6 and 12 years of age and have continued to fall in the 15-16-year-old age group. Immigrant children have high caries levels and are a population group in serious need of treatment and prevention plans.