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.