Caries in the preschool child: British trends

The aim of this paper is to review the findings of studies carried out in Camden over a period of 20 years. Three studies were carried out using the same methods of interview and dental examination. A total of 1722 children were included, all samples being drawn from children attending maternal and child welfare clinics held in the district. Taken together, findings suggest that the prevalence of caries in this inner city area declined during the 1970s but has not continued to do so during the 1980s. Rampant caries also declined in the 1970s but the prevalence of this form of the disease appeared to have increased between 1980 and 1986. Changes in social class structure of the samples and in the ethnic origin of the children included may have contributed to the changes seen during the 1980s; a greater proportion of children came from single parent families or families where the father was unemployed and a higher proportion of children were of Asian origin. Although the use of sweetened comforters declined during the 1970s, by 1986 the level of use was little different to that seen in the mid-1960s. Despite changes in disease levels there has been little change in the need for treatment amongst preschool children. In 1986, 89 of the 91 children with some caries experience were in need of treatment.