A survey of dental disease in children of Wuvulu Island, Papua New Guinea.

A convenience sample of 153 boys and girls, aged 3-16 years, inhabiting Wuvulu Island were examined for the prevalence of dental caries and periodontal disease and for oral hygiene status. Average df teeth and surface scores for the group were 2.08 and 3.35, respectively, while average DMF teeth and surface scores were 0.90 and 1.20, respectively. Of the sample, 30.7% were caries free. Oral hygiene was poor and males had significantly more periodontal disease than females. While primary teeth were about three times more susceptible to caries than permanent teeth, tooth loss due to caries was not a problem in primary teeth. The authors discuss findings of other researchers and reasons for the greater prevalence of caries in primary teeth.