[Prevalence of caries and dental erosion among school children in The Hague from 1996-2005].

In 2005 a dental survey of the prevalence of caries among 6- and 12-year-old schoolchildren in The Hague was carried out. In the case of the 12-year-olds, the prevalence of dental erosion was also studied. The sample consisted of 814 students in twelve primary schools in The Hague. The results reveal that since the previous study, in 2002, the trend in the direction of an increasing percentage of children with deciduous caries-free teeth and permanent caries-free teeth had continued. In the case of the children who were not caries-free, it was noticeable that, in general, the number of new dental caries (dmfs- and DMFS-score) had not changed in the period 1996-2005, while the number of restorations among the 6- and 12-year olds had decreased. The mean restorative index in the deciduous dentition of 6-year-olds decreased from approximately 40% in 1996 to approximately 20% in 2005; with respect to permanant dentition among 12-year-olds, the percentage decreased from more than 90% to 60%. The percentage of 12-year-olds with dental erosion in 2005 remained unchanged as compared with 2002: 24%. The research revealed that there was no increase in dental caries or dental erosion among the 6- and 12-year-old school children in The Hague.