[Dental caries and the necessity of treatment in pre-school children].

A study concerning the intensity of caries, the oral hygiene, and the necessity for treatment was carried out with 816 children between the ages of three and five. The findings indicated age-related relationships, which are independent of sex and kindergarten enrollment. On the basis of the results, the conclusion was drawn that prophylactic measures for caries should be instituted as early as possible; kindergarten teachers and the parents should be instructed in the essentials of oral hygiene.