HC 2.11
DENTAL CARIES
"Dental caries" is a technical term referring to either treated or untreated tooth decay in one or more teeth. Proper preventive care reduces the incidence of dental caries. The presence of dental caries may indicate a lack of access to preventive care or a lack of information about preventive techniques.31
Racial and Ethnic Differences in Dental Caries. Mexican American children
ages two through four had the highest prevalence of dental caries in their
primary teeth (see Figure HC 2.11). Almost one-third of Mexican American
children had dental caries compared to 22 percent of black children and 13
percent of white children. Mexican American children also had the highest
prevalence of dental caries in permanent teeth, but the gap among children
ages five through 17 was much smaller than it was for younger children. Black
children had the lowest percentage of dental caries with 39 percent, compared
to 45 percent for white children and 49 percent for Mexican American children.
Figure HC 2.11
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Source: Kaste, L.M., Selwitz, R.H., Oldakowski, R.J., Brunelle,
J.A., Winn, D.M., & Brown, L.J. (1996) “Coronal Caries in the Primary
and Permanent Dentition of Children and Adolescents 1-17 Years of Age: United
States, 1988-1991.” Journal of Dental Research, 75, 631-641. Rockville,
MD: National Institutes of Health. National Institute of Dental Research,
Division of Epidemiology and Oral Disease Prevention.
Table HC 2.11
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| Percent of children ages 2-4 w/dental | |||
| caries in primary teeth | |||
| Percent of children ages 5-17 | |||
| w/dental caries in permanent teeth | |||
| Source: Kaste, L.M., Selwitz, R.H., Oldakowski, R.J., Brunelle, J.A., Winn, D.M., & Brown, L.J. (1996) "Coronal Caries in the Primary and Permanent Dentition of Children and Adolescents 1-17 Years of Age: United States, 1988-1991." Journal of Dental Research, 75, 631-641. Rockville, MD: National Institutes of Health. National Institute of Dental Research, Division of Epidemiology and Oral Disease Prevention. | |||