New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health Services, Concord, NH 03301-6504, USA.
J Public Health Dent. 2010 Summer;70(3):245-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1752-7325.2009.00161.x.
We report on the baseline prevalence and severity of dental caries of children enrolled in the New Hampshire Head Start program during the 2007-2008 school year.
We selected a random cluster sample of 607 children aged 3-5 years attending 27 Head Start centers across the state. Four volunteer dentists provided oral examinations and determined the presence of untreated dental caries, caries experience, and treatment urgency.
Overall, 40 percent of the participating children had experienced dental caries, and 31 percent had at least one untreated decayed tooth. Approximately 22 percent of the children had evidence of maxillary anterior caries, 23 percent were in need of dental care, and < 1 percent needed urgent care.
The prevalence of dental caries is comparable with that reported by Head Start programs elsewhere. The prevalence of caries affecting maxillary anterior teeth is higher. Further studies should examine state-specific barriers to dental care among this population.
我们报告了新罕布什尔州 2007-2008 学年“学步儿童早期教育计划”中入读儿童的基线龋齿患病率和严重程度。
我们选择了全州 27 个“学步儿童早期教育计划”中心的 607 名 3-5 岁儿童进行随机整群抽样。4 名志愿牙医进行口腔检查，确定是否存在未经治疗的龋齿、龋齿患病经历和治疗紧迫性。
总体而言，40%的参与儿童经历过龋齿，31%的儿童至少有一颗未经治疗的龋齿。约 22%的儿童上颌前牙有龋齿迹象，23%需要牙科护理，<1%需要紧急护理。
龋齿的患病率与其他“学步儿童早期教育计划”报告的患病率相当。上颌前牙龋齿的患病率更高。进一步的研究应该检查该人群中与牙科保健相关的具体州内障碍。
