Dental caries in 16- and 18-year-old adolescents in northern Sweden

An epidemiologic study on the prevalence and distribution of dental caries in 16- and 18-yr-olds was carried out in 1987 in the county of Västerbotten, northern Sweden. The subjects had participated in the Public Dental Health Service, including prophylactic programs, since early childhood. The results showed the mean DFS-value to be 5.7 for the 16-yr-olds and 8.1 for the 18-yr-olds. The DFT and DFS-values were higher in the urban than in the rural areas for both age groups, mainly due to more occlusal surfaces being filled in the urban area. Earlier studies have shown a higher prevalence of caries in rural compared to urban areas, explained by a lower socioeconomic level in the rural areas. Although the socioeconomic differences between urban and rural areas persist, the difference in caries prevalence seems to have been eradicated. Both age groups included small subgroups with a high number of DF-surfaces, requiring individualized preventive programs.