Diagnosis of approximal caries in pre-school children.

The aim of the study was to ascertain the extent to which bite-wing radiographs are indicated in the examination of pre-school children for caries. The total material consisted of 213 children aged four to six years. Of the four year olds 32%, five year olds 71% and six year olds 91% had approximal surfaces which could not be examined with a probe. These 142 children with posterior contacts were entered into the study. The mean number of carious surfaces was 2.8 in the four-years group, 3.0 in the five-years group and 3.2 in the six-years group. The proportion of the approximal carious lesions diagnosable only by radiography of the total number of carious surfaces was 28%, 47% and 64% in the three age groups. 48% of the children aged five and six years without clinical evidence of caries had radiographic caries on the approximal surfaces. Only 9% of the approximal carious lesions were detectable without bite-wing radiography. It is therefore suggested that the clinical caries examination should be supplemented with bite-wing radiography. --of four-year-olds with contacts in the molar area and with clinical evidence of caries --of all five- and six-year-olds with approximal surfaces in the molar area which cannot be probed.