The permanent first molar as an indicator for predicting caries activity.

Using a study population in Saudi Arabia, this study recorded the current caries experience in first permanent molars and sought to correlate it with age and overall caries experience. A strong relationship was found between the caries experience of the first permanent molar and the mean DMFT score for the study population, as was a relationship with age of the individual. It is suggested that such a correlation may be helpful in the prediction of caries progression for individuals or groups.