Caries prevalence in 12-year-old schoolchildren in New Caledonia.

This study reports on the most recent epidemiological survey undertaken in New Caledonia, a French dependency in the South Pacific. Three hundred and twenty-five 12-year-old children were selected from schools using the World Health Organization pathfinder sampling methodology. The results showed a DMFT of 4.09. This places New Caledonia in the 'moderate' category on the World Health Organization scale of caries severity for 12-year-old children. Two oral health risk groups were identified: Melanesian and Wallisian children. Different approaches to promoting oral health in New Caledonia, taking into account local socio-cultural traditions, are proposed.