[Caries in the deciduous dentitions of kindergarten children in two cities of the Ennepe-Ruhr district].

The prevalence of caries of deciduous teeth was studied in a survey of 2688 children, aged between 3 and 6 years, from kindergartens in the cities of Witten and Hattingen in the Ennepe-Ruhr district. The DMF/T index of the three-, four-, five- and six-year-old children in Witten was 1.7, 2.5, 3.1 and 3.7, respectively. In Hattingen the DMF/T index recorded was correspondingly: 1.1, 2.9, 2.6 and 3.1. The proportion of naturally healthy dentitions of 57.1% in three-year-old children is decreasing to 29.6% in six-year-old children in Witten and from 67.6% in three-year-old children to 36.6% in six-year-old children in Hattingen. Compared with a study from 1978, caries prevalence has generally dropped by 20% in three- to six-year-old children in Witten. Judged by the criteria established by the WHO, the documented caries prevalence is still very high in both cities.