[Epidemiology of dental caries (author's transl)].

More than 99% of the population of North and Central Europe and also North America suffer from dental caries. Epidemiological studies on the spread and course of this, perhaps the most common disease of mankind, and on the state of dental care and the efficacy of preventive measures are consequently of great social hygienic and health political significance. Methods of obtaining information (including time-saving and yet permissible partial registration), the difficulties of caries diagnosis and the demands for highly informative statistics on caries are discussed. The importance of nutrition and oral hygiene for the prevention of caries is emphasized. But it must be expressed that at present there is no alternative, apart from the use of fluorides (drinking water, tablets, salt etc.), for an effective mass prophylaxis of dental caries.