Changes in dental caries prevalence in upstate New York schoolchildren.

A survey of second and fifth grade children was conducted in upstate New York to determine recent trends in dental caries prevalence. Clinical examinations were conducted on 960 second grade and 837 fifth grade children in 51 schools. A single examiner derived the findings on a uniform basis using a standard protocol. An examination of changes in the percent of caries-free children and mean DMFS/dfs indices revealed that caries prevalence has continued to decline. Although the low SES group in this survey had consistently higher caries levels and a higher treatment need compared to the high SES group, the magnitude of the difference was much smaller compared to the previous survey. Because the sampling was restricted to young children in upstate New York, the trends observed should not be applied to a similar New York City population, to older children throughout New York State, or to children in other states.