[Socioeconomic variables and the prevalence of dental caries in second and sixth grade Quebec children in 1989-90].

1. To determine caries risk factors in second and sixth grade Quebec children; 2) To test multivariate models which identify children as belonging to a high prevalence group. For the 1989–90 Santé Dentaire Québec survey, 2,291 second grade and 2,111 sixth grade school children responded to a questionnaire on their personal habits of hygiene and diet and underwent a clinical examination, while their parents answered a questionnaire regarding their family’s socioeconomic status. Statistics demonstrate a stronger link between socioeconomic variables and caries prevalence than demographic and sanitary factors. Children emerging from a high socioeconomic milieu have better dental health than children with low socioeconomic standing. The most effective model, however, registers a sensitivity of 65% and a specificity of 66%, revealing the inadequacy of statistical models to accurately identify children in the caries high prevalence group.